Kimi o Kanjiru Koto To Feel You
by syaoran no hime
Summary: Tohru is working as a personal attendant of the enigmatic Yuki Sohma. What makes her job complicated is that when she discovered about the Sohma Clan secret, her own secret was revealed too: she was deathly musophobic very afraid of mice.
1. A New Home

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Kimi o Kanjiru Suru (To Feel You)

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Tohru is working as a personal attendant of the enigmatic Yuki Sohma. What makes her job complicated is that when she discovered about the Sohma Clan secret, her own secret was revealed too: she was deathly musophobic - **very** afraid of mice.

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Chapter 1: A New Home

Honda Tohru sat down her seat nervously as Kagura Sohma, the woman responsible for accepting new helpers into the Sohma household, examined her.

"How old are you?" Kagura asked in surprising gentleness. Her voice soothed Tohru a little and made her feel less uneasy.

"Sixteen," she replied.

"Where is your family?"

"I have none."

"Who sent you here then?"

She looked down at her lap. Would she dare tell her employer that a complete stranger told her to apply for this job?

"Honda Tohru?" prompted Kagura.

She decided to tell her the truth. "A-Actually, a young man told me to apply here…"

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Tohru slipped into her tent, relieved to finally be able to rest after an exhausting day in school.

"Tadaima!" she said, smiling at the picture of her mother. "I survived my first day at school as a transferee. Algebra is as tough as making new friends here though. But I'll make it up tomorrow." She sat on her makeshift bed, looking around her cozy little house with delight. After the orphanage released her, she decided to live on her own, using the money she had scrape from doing odd jobs. But she still chose to live in a tent rather than rent a room. It was less expensive, plus she needs money for her food and schooling.

She was just about to change into her pajamas when she heard footsteps drawing near. She peeked outside and saw a young man with dark hair and lily-white mandarin outfit standing before her. His deep purple eyes looked at her in surprise.

For a few moments, they were just gazing at each other. He then squatted before her, still eyeing her. "Are you a Girl Scout?" he asked.

"N-No." Strangely, she felt no danger at his sudden friendliness. She felt like she was at ease at him. This wasn't how she usually feels when a boy tries to be friendly with her. "This is where I live."

He looked at her house then back at her. "Did you run away?"

"I told you, this is where I live."

He shook his head. "I don't believe you. There is no tent erected here until today."

She sighed. "I just moved in here. This place does not have barbed wires around it so I assumed that it's ok to live her. Besides, it's close to my school."

"Won't your parents get worried?"

"I am an orphan."

"I'm sorry," he said sincerely. "Well, why don't you find someplace else to live in? Like an apartment?"

"I'm a little tight on money," she admitted grudgingly.

"Do you know how to cook and clean?"

"Yes."

He pointed at the grand mansion at the top of the hill. "Then maybe you can apply there as a helper. If you're good enough, then they'll hire you. You will be a stay-in helper, so you won't have to worry about the shelter and the food. They'll even pay you, so you can finance your studies. And you'll be safer there."

She nodded. "You have a point. I'll give it a try."

He stood up. "Well, I better get going." He bowed and walked away.

"W-Wait! What's your name?" she yelled.

He turned around, and gave her a smile that nearly took her breath away. "Yuki," he said.

"..so that's how I got here," finished Tohru. She then noticed the funny look on Kagura's face but made no comment about it.

Her employer nodded. "You sound like you're saying the truth..I happen to like honest people. You're hired."

Her eyes widened in delight. "A-Arigatou!"

"Your job is to look after the future head of the Sohma clan, the family owning this house. You shall be his personal attendant, and you shall see to it that you shall give his every need. Do you understand?" said Kagura.

"Yes Ma'am."  
Her employer stood up. "Now come on. You shall meet your young master. He is now in his cousin Shigure's house. He hangs out there more often than here."

Shigure Sohma smiled warmly at her. "Welcome to the family, Honda Tohru!"

She bowed again. "Thank you, Sir."

"Well at least I can see something else other than those nasty, bloody cat-mouse fights," he kidded.

"M-Mouse?" echoed Tohru. _Don't tell me they keep mice here as pets._

"Where is Kyo?" asked Kagura softly.

"Drinking his milk," answered the man.

"Oh, how cute!" gushed Tohru. "You named your cat Kyo!"

Kagura and Shigure choked. "Sort of," he said. The woman looked at her threateningly.

"But Yuki's home," said Shigure.

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Yuki?

"Good. I'll introduce this girl to him already." Kagura then ushered her to follow her.

"I should warn you, Honda Tohru," said Shigure. "He's not very friendly, but he won't bite, I think."

"Shi_gu_re!!"

"Sorry!" The man went back to his newspaper.

On the hallway, they could hear faint flute music playing coming from a certain room.

"He's home, alright," said Kagura. She knocked on the door. "We're coming in, Yuki. Me and your new attendant."

Upon hearing the name again, Tohru felt her heartbeat quicken. _It couldn't be…_

The door opened, and Tohru's eyes widened.

The guy she met in the woods was looking back at her!

****

tsuzuku

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notes: First off, I'm not sure with the title of the fic…if it's right or not technically. ^^;; This is a sort-of remake of Fruits Basket. Expect the characters not to be their usual personas, but they're recognizable.


	2. The High School Prince

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Chapter 02: The High School Prince

Tohru vaguely heard Kagura's voice saying that she shall be leaving them alone now. The door closed gently, and footsteps retreated away from the room.

"So we meet again," he said quietly.

She nodded slowly.

"Do you have any objections about your job?"

She shook her head.

"Then you must rest now. We'll see each other in the morning-"

"Why didn't you tell me that you live in that mansion too?" she couldn't resist asking.

"Simply because I don't. I may exist there, but I live in here," he replied.

The words kept on replaying in Tohru's mind as she dressed up for school early in the morning the next day. "I can detect sadness in his voice," she mused.

No one was up yet when she walked to the kitchen. Her eye widened when she saw how topsy-turvy the whole place was. A dozen plates were even piled up on the kitchen sink already, as if no one cares to wash them at all!

"Master Yuki is not up yet. Maybe I should attend to the house first," she decided as she filled a basin with soapy water.

Shigure was walking to the kitchen when the warm aroma of coffee and hearty breakfast welcomed him. His jaw dropped when he saw the plates stacked in the rack neatly, and the sink and counter was polished.

"Oh Kami-sama! I'm still dreaming!" He pinched his arm. "Ouch! This is a _vivid_ one."

Yuki walked from behind. "Shigure, what charitable spirit possessed you to wake up early to do the chores?"

He turned to his cousin. "You mean you didn't do this?" He frowned. "It's more unlikely that Kyo would do this."

Tohru appeared from the doorway, holding a bag of bread. "Ohayou gozaimasu, Master Yuki, Master Shigure!"

Yuki blinked. "Am I right to infer that you did this?"

She looked around worriedly. "Is it not clean enough?"

Shigure burst out laughing. "Jesus, this is cleaner than the time we decided to do a general cleaning three years ago!"

"Really?" she exclaimed.

"We're domestically-challenged," explained the man.

"We're ignorant when it comes to household chores," added Yuki. "Our lives are already a mess on their own. We don't have time to fix the house."

She placed the bread down. "It must not be that bad, Master Yuki. People cannot be good in all fields of life. If you are already good in music, I cannot expect that you are good in being a homemaker too."

Shigure smiled. "You are one nice girl, Honda Tohru. If I do not know you, I might even think that you can make a good liar."

Yuki looked at him warningly.

Tohru took it lightly. "I'm flattered," she said good-naturedly. She gestured to the breakfast table. "Please eat now before the food turns cold."

Suddenly an orange cat entered the kitchen, meowing loudly. Tohru knelt before the cat. "Oh, how cute! This must be your pet, Kyo!"

Yuki and Shigure choked. The cat hissed.

"Oh come on, kitty. I won't hurt you…" she tickled its throat gently. "Good kitty."

"Do you like animals?" Shigure asked casually.

She smiled at them. "Oh yes! I love cats! And bunnies!"

"What about dogs?" asked Shigure eagerly.

"I _adore_ dogs!"

"Tigers? Cows? Pigs?" he asked.

"I love all kinds of animals..even snakes!"

"So you love all animals in general?" asked Yuki.

Her forehead creased. _Why the sudden interest on my zoological interests?_ "Well, there is one animal I don't like."

The men and even the cat seemed to look at her curiously.

"You see..I'm like those Victorian wives who, upon seeing mice jump up in a chair and scream," she said shyly. "I don't like rats very much."

Yuki choked. "Y-You don't?"

"Well, I know it's not a rat's fault to be _filthy_, _yucky_, _dirty_-" began Tohru.

"-not to mention _unhygienic_," interrupted Shigure laughingly.

"-but I just get really, really nervous when I see them," she finished.

The boy nodded. "I see."

Shigure sighed. "Too bad, because once in a while, you see a white mouse running back and forth the hallways-"

"That's enough!" snapped Yuki.

Tohru was puzzled by her master's sudden temper flare. Does he not like rats too?

"I better go. I'm late for school." He left the table abruptly.

Tohru watched him, bewildered.

"Don't worry, Tohru. You didn't do anything to upset him," said Shigure, reading her mind. "Yuki is just..well…_moody_."

"I understand."

Tohru, dressed in her school uniform was about to leave when she heard her master's voice calling her name. "Honda-san!"

"Yuki-sama!" She hurried towards him. "Do you need something-" Her eyes widened when she saw what he was wearing. "Oh!"

He smiled. "I was thinking if we can walk to school together, since we are schoolmates and all." 

"Oh!" She nodded and bowed. "That would be great!"

As they walked, Tohru looked at Yuki from the corner of her eyes. He was quiet and serious, but he was also nice and kind. He also has the most heartbreakingly beautiful smile in the world. Kami-sama, he was an enigma.

Yuki smiled at her when he caught her looking at him. She turned away, blushing.

"Did I pass your standards, Honda-san?" he asked teasingly.

"I'm sorry, Yuki-sama. I know it's impolite to look at you without your permission but-"

"But..?" he prompted.

She looked down, not knowing what to say. _Why was she looking at him anyway?_

He looked at her intently. "Is there dirt on my face and you're just too shy to say it?"

"N-No, Yuki-sama!"

"Then what is it?"

"It's-" She stopped when she heard screams ring out from all four corners of the place.

"L-O-V-E L-O-V-E LOVE YUKI!!!" screams of female drowned the rest of Tohru's words.

Yuki sweatdropped. "Ignore them, Honda-san."

"I-" She could vaguely remember the female population yesterday talking a bout the high school prince, Sohma Yuki. But she had no idea that _that_ Yuki is the Yuki beside her now.

"Prince Yuki, WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!" cheered the freshmen girls. They began to run after them.

Yuki suddenly grabbed her hand. "Let's go, Honda-san." He pulled her so she would walk faster.

"HUH?!!!" The girls of Yuki's Fan Club were aghast. Their prince was holding an unknown girl's hand!

"Skin contact!" someone cried.

"Blasphemy! No one is allowed to hold the prince' hand, arm, shoulder, nail, hair etc without using a sanitizer accredited by our exclusive club!" another girl cried.

"Whoever that girl is will pay dearly."

"Yuki-sama!" cried Tohru, catching her breath. 

"Honda-san!" He stopped pulling her. "I-I'm sorry! We shouldn't have run away like that!"

"Hey, your life was in danger back then," she kidded. "I forgive you." She smiled. "I didn't know you already are an icon here. Do they have a temple built in your honor already?"

Yuki looked at her, puzzled. "You don't know about my reputation?" He chuckled. "I forgot. You are a transferee, right?"

"What do I not know about your reputation here, Yuki-sama?" she asked.

He sighed. "It's better that you do not know, Honda-san." He then looked at the classrooms. "This is where I'll go."

She looked at the classroom of the first section. "Uh..ok."

He looked at her. "So where will I see you this lunch?"

"H-Huh?"

"I said, what section should I go to fetch you?" he repeated.

"S-Section D."

"Section D it is then." He smiled at her before entering the classroom, where more students greeted him energetically.

"He's handsome, he's rich, he's popular, he's intelligent…no wonder he was called the High school prince," said Tohru quietly. 

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tsuzuku


	3. The Mouse and the PussyCat

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Chapter 03: The Mouse and the PussyCat

She was used to being stared at. She was used to being treated like a freak. Perhaps, it was because she was poor, or that because she was an orphan. Perhaps because she was not as pretty as her other classmates were.

She never liked their measuring looks, but she had to get used to it.

But now, as she entered her classroom, she had to fight valiantly the urge to go back home. Their gazes were anything but welcoming.

"Stop it, Honda Tohru!" she scolded herself. "They're just staring at you because you are a transferee. You are a new face in the room. They're just curious."

"Hey you!!"

She looked up and saw a bunch of girls blocking her way to her seat. She recognized them as some of the girls who were screaming out her master's name awhile ago. She could sense trouble. "Yes?"

"What is your relationship with Prince Yuki?" A girl whose hair was in pigtails demanded.

"P-Prince Yuki?" she choked. 

"That's right!" A shorthaired girl snapped. "By any chance, are you his _girlfriend_?"

Her eyes widened. "N-No!"

"Then why did we see you together this morning?" Another girl demanded.

"I-I..you're mistaken.."

"Hey, stop ganging on her!" A male voice bellowed.

The girls immediately were silenced. Tohru turned to see who her savior was.

An orange-haired boy was standing behind her.

"Gomen nasai," whispered the girls as they retreated to the far side of the room.

Tohru bowed down gratefully in front of him. To this, her savior burst out laughing.

"W-What's so funny?" she cried.

"Nothing. It's just that it's my first time to experience having someone thank me that way," he explained.

She was speechless.

"Well, be careful next time." He was about to walk away when she spoke.

"Domo arigatou, M-Mister..?"

"Kyou. My name is Kyo," he replied.

Lunch time…

Tohru gasped when she saw her master waiting for her by the doorway of the classroom. He had not seen her yet, which was evident by the way his deep mauve eyes scanned the room.

She could see the Yuki-obsessed girls staring daggers at her way. She gulped. Maybe she better hide from Yuki, just so she could avoid another encounter with them.

"Honda-san! There you are!" said Yuki, his eyes lighting up.

She felt all the heads in the room turn towards her, all wanting to know whom did the Prince address.

"We must make haste before the bell rings," he said. "I hope you do remember that you promised to eat lunch with me today."

"O-Of course I do!" she cried. "But-"

"She's going to eat lunch with _me_," interrupted another male voice, which now was familiar to Tohru's ears.

It was Kyo.

"Says who?" said Yuki coolly.

Tension-filled silence followed. Tohru looked back at the two men worriedly. _Do they know each other?_

"Why don't we just eat all together?" she suggested cheerfully.

To her dismay, her suggestion only fueled the fire between her master and her classmate.

"Kyo! Oh Kyo, there you are!" called a female voice.

Tohru's jaw dropped. Kagura Sohma was running towards them in full speed. Or rather, towards Kyo.

Kagura pulled Kyo out of the classroom. "Let's eat lunch together at home!"

"I don't want to! Why don't you just go home?" he barked.

She pulled his collar menacingly. "You're going to eat with me, buster!" Her face then broke into a sweet smile again. "Come on, Kyo! The food is waiting for us!"

Ass he and Yuki watched Kyo get dragged away, she heard her master mutter, "Baka neko."

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Where the hell is that stupid cat he kept talking about when he sees Kyo? Well, come to think of it, it's rather peculiar that the cat at home and that guy have the same name.

"Yuki-sama?" she prompted.

He turned to her expectantly.

"I.." She looked at the girls in the classroom. "I can't eat lunch with you. I-I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure?" he asked suspiciously. "You didn't eat breakfast today. You might get sick."

She couldn't help but smile at his genuine concern for her health. "I will be fine, Yuki-sama."

Her eyes widened when his finger pressed lightly on her lips.

"Ssh," he said gently. "I forbid you to call me by that name. From now on, you must call me without the honorific suffix."

"But-"

"No buts. Do not refuse me, Honda-san." He eyed her classmates who were watching them in interest.

"Are they bothering you, Honda-san?" he asked.

She forced a smile. "No! They are very…kind." She couldn't dare tell him about the girls that ganged up on him awhile ago. She also couldn't tell him how uncomfortable she was with their prying eyes.

"I understand." Yuki patted her shoulder. "Just tell me when someone does, and _I'll_ _take care of that person_," he promised, his firm voice made loud enough for all her classmates to hear.

It was a gravely serious warning from the Prince.

From then on, her classmates started to be friendly towards her. Of course her female classmates were still aloof, but at least the ganging updidn't occur again.

Indeed, the words of the High School Prince were the law of the studentry.

Tohru was surprised when she found Kyo sitting at the roof of the Shigure residence. "Kyo!" she called.

The boy turned to her. His face lit up. "Tohru!"

She was puzzled. _He knows her name?_ She then shrugged. He must have heard it when the teacher called on her to recite. But still…why is he here?

She voiced out her questions. To this, the guy laughed.

"What?! You're laughing at me again?!!" she cried. "Do I look like a clown?"

"No. And if you are, then you must be the prettiest clown I've ever seen!" he said.

She felt her face turn red with his frank compliment. No one has ever said that she was pretty, even in jest. 

"So what are you doing here?" she asked, shifting the topic away from her aesthetic characteristics.

"I live here," he said simply as he jumped off from the roof with ease.

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How did he do that? His graceful movements reminded her of a cat.

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Kyo lives here? And they have a cat named Kyo?

"He's a Sohma unfortunately," said Yuki as he and Shigure walked towards them. Her master didn't look pleased catching her with Kyo.

"He is?" she echoed.

"Kyo is Yuki's cousin," explained Shigure.

"Oh!" she gasped. _But they treat each other like enemies…_

Shigure read her mind. "They've had their differences since childhood, and until now…" he sighed. "..they haven't gotten passed that childhood stage yet."

Tohru looked at Kyo and Yuki back and forth.

Ah, the wonders of the Sohma clan never cease to amaze her. And this rivalry was just the beginning of uncovering the mystery. She could feel it.

****

tsuzuku

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You must be puzzled why I still try to stay faithful to the basic FB plot. This is for the sake of my friend, fireblaze, whom I currently am initiating to the world of Fruits Basket and Yukiru fandom. I changed just a few details and perhaps the ending to my liking.


	4. The Sheep and the Tiger

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Chapter 04: The Tiger and the Sheep

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"Yuki-kun! Yuki, where are you?" Tohru asked. "Yuki!!"

All she could see was mist. She had no idea how the mist covered the whole place, but she had to get out of here! It was slowly strangling her to death.

Then she felt a hand touch hers. It wrapped around her wrist, and she was pulled to safety. She tried to look at the mysterious figure, but all she could see was a silhouette. Soon they were out of the mist, but still the person refuses to look her way.

"Matte!" She tried to hold his shoulder to make him stop, but slipped. She ended up on top of him as they both fell down the ground. She opened her eyes. " Are you alright-"

She got the shock of her life when she saw what was staring right at her face.

A mouse.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream.

"Honda-san! Honda-san, wake up!" an urgent voice called her.

She opened her eyes and found Yuki Sohma kneeling before her. He was still wearing his pajamas, and apparently, her scream woke him up.

"G-Gomen nasai," she said, embarrassed. "I-I just had a nightmare!"

"Tell me about it," he said sympathetically. It somewhat calmed her down. A little. 

"You may think it's stupid," she said uncertainly.

"Try me."

"I-It's about a…m-mouse," she said shakily.

His face was unreadable. "And..?"

"It was a mouse."

"So?"

"It scares me. Didn't I tell you before that I_HATE_MICE?" she asked.

He nodded. "I know. But what did it do to you?"

She paused. "Er..nothing harmful." She blushed. "In fact..oh, forget it."

He smoothed her hair. "If it did nothing bad to you, then it doesn't deserve your fear or your sleeplessness over it. Go back to sleep, Honda-san."

She nodded.

He tucked her again. "Goodnight, Honda-san."

"I'm sorry again for disturbing your sleep," she apologized. "I'm sorry for being a bother."

"You are never a bother, Honda-san," he said before closing the door.

It had been quite a while since he left but she was still staring at the closed door, her master's words echoing in her mind. 

"He is so kind…" she whispered.

Then her dream flashed again in her mind.

"Of all the possible God-made creatures in the world, why did I have to dream of a mouse?" she asked exasperatedly before going to sleep.

But after just a few hours, she was awakened again by the sound of roof crashing.

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Earthquake!

But she felt no tremor after the noise. She cautiously opened the door and found Kyo in front of her room, rubbing his back.

"Kyo!" She knelt down beside him. "What are you doing here? How did you get here?" She looked up at the hole on the roof.

Shigure arrived, scratching his chin. "Tsk, tsk, This would be the sixth time we would have to repair the roof. If this continues, we would end up with no budget for dinner."

"But Mr.Shigure. Kyo's already hurt!" She tried to reach for his shoulders but the boy imprisoned her hand.

"D-Don't touch it. I-It hurts," he said awkwardly.

"I-I see." 

"Be more careful next time, _baka neko_," said Yuki, entering the hallway.

Kyo threw him a dirty look. "I do not need your concern,_ chikushou nezumi_."

Tohru sighed. If that was a cousinly concern, she didn't want to know anymore what a cousinly malice is.

"You could have destroyed the part of the roof covering Honda-san's bedroom!" her master added.

"She could move into mine anytime," Shigure put in.

Kyo sighed. "I'm sorry, Tohru."

She blinked. "Y-You don't have to, Master Kyo. You didn't do anything bad to me."

"But the _nezumi_ is right. I could have harmed you-" His mouth clamped shut, realizing what he said.

"Why do you keep on calling each other those literal pet names?" she asked curiously.

Kyo and Yuki looked at each other.

"Cousinly affection," answered Shigure for them.

"_Baka neko," _said Yuki. "You can let go of her hand now."

Tohru realized that Kyo was still holding her hand. She blushed.

Kyo smiled and placed it down gently.

As Tohru prepared breakfast, Kyo helped her by washing the plates. Shigure was reading the newspaper in the living room. Yuki on the other hand was taking a bath.

"So you are the personal attendant of that snob," said Kyo as he wiped the plates dry and placed them on the rack.

"I won't exactly call him a snob. He's very kind to me," she said thoughtfully.

He shrugged, then changed the topic. "But why do you also work in the house?"

She smiled. "I just want to. I love doing household chores."

Shigure laughed. "You'll make a fine wife someday," he yelled from the living room.

She blushed. "That's the farthest thing in my mind now. I just want to concentrate on my studies right now. I want to be a veterinarian someday."

Kyo looked at her. "A vet? But you are too cute to be one!"

This made her blush more. _These men act as if they haven't seen a woman yet. Why do they call me beautiful even if I'm just average compared to other girls?_

"I would love to be a sick dog if she would be the one to massage my naked body," put in Shigure. "Are you going to do CPRs too, Dr.Honda?"

She giggled. "No problem! As long as it's not-"

"I know, a _rat_," said Yuki, joining them in the kitchen.

Kyo smirked.

Shigure looked down at the broadsheet again.

"What's for breakfast?" asked her master, sitting down the table.

She smiled cheerfully. "Omelets in the house."

Shigure walked into the room. "You forgot the milk, Tohru. Kyo's day never starts without his daily source of calcium." He winked at her. "His bones are very fragile, you know. One day without milk, and his skeletal system will collapse."

"Ha-ha. Funny," snapped Kyo.

"I'm sorry. I'll get some this afternoon," apologized Tohru.

"No, Shigure was just kidding-" began Kyo.

"I wasn't," said the man flatly.

"I'll accompany you to the grocery store this afternoon," said Yuki.

"Thanks, Yuki," she said.

"First-name basis already?" remarked Shigure laughingly.

Yuki rolled his eyes. "Why do you have to remark on every single happening in this house anyway?"

"Because it's boring," he sighed. "My brain factory is having a drought. No creative juice is flowing in my mind, and I need to pass something to my editor if I would like my roof to be repaired." He looked at Kyo pointedly.

"God, Shigure! It wasn't my fault I suddenly turned hu-" He howled in pain, clutching his foot that Yuki stomped on subtly.

"Turned what?" she asked.

"Huge," replied Yuki.

"Oh."

"Kyo has this, uh, unusual biological chemistry. His weights fall and gain dramatically, you know," added Shigure.

She looked at Kyo sympathetically. "It must be hard."

"Yeah," he replied weakly.

"I know!" Tohru clapped her hands together. "I'll pitch in! I'll find a job so I can help in repairing the roof!"

"Honda-san, you don't have to-" began Yuki.

"Yeah! This is already your job," said Kyo, glancing at Yuki.

"But I don't want Shigure-san to feel pressured. Real artists have flashes of inspiration that they cannot force. If he cannot write, he must not force himself," she reasoned.

"Well, I suppose I can ask a loan from Ha-san," said Shigure slowly.

"Good idea," said Yuki. "And next time that the _baka neko_ destroys anything, he must pay for it himself."

Tohru was puzzled. Their relatives live in such a grand mansion and yet they opt to live in a separate place?

Yuki stood up. "We better hurry or we'll be late for school, Honda-san."

"Wait up!" said Kyo. "I'm walking with you guys too!"

Yuki frowned. "Walk with us? But you always walk alone to school."

"Or Kagura drags you there herself," said Shigure.

"I have my reasons," he said simply, looking directly at her.

Tohru glanced at Yuki who was on her left and Kyo who was on her right. Sighing, she looked straight ahead. They weren't able to make a decent conversation for the last 10 minutes. She might as well have walked alone.

"So guys," she began. "What do you guys usually do when you're not making your assignments?"

"I play pool," said Kyo immediately.

"I do advance readings on my future lessons, or I play flute," replied Yuki.

"I like billiards! And I love listening to the flute!" she gushed. "Maybe sometime, I can play with you guys."

"I'll be glad to teach you some tricks," said the orange-haired boy.

"I'll be happy to play for you, Honda-san," said the purple-eyed lad.

"So what do _you_ like doing, Tohru?" Kyo wanted to know.

She paused. "Cooking. And playing tennis. And playing scrabble."

They all stopped when they heard a high-pitched voice calling Yuki and Kyo's name. They both turned around and saw a woman pulling a pretty little girl.

"Ritsu?" asked Yuki, frowning.

"I-I'm sorry for calling you unexpectedly. I'm really sorry, but this is an emergency, really. I'm sorry because I might be the reason for your tardiness if I don't make this talk short-" the woman said.

Tohru blinked.

Kyo leaned over to her ear. "Find the word _apology_ in the dictionary and you'll see the name _Sohma Ritsu_ written all over it."

"Say it then," instructed Yuki.

"Kisa needs a place to stay so I'm wondering if you can both take care of her?" Ritsu smiled apologetically.

Tohru looked at the little girl who refused to look at them.

"I'm sorry for any kind of disturbances or fuss that I will cause you, but you see, I'm helpless. I'm sick, and Hatori says I need to be quarantined, so-" continued Ritsu.

"Yikes!" said Kyo, stepping away from Ritsu.

"Sure, no problem," said Yuki, holding out his hand to Kisa.

The girl hesitated, then took his hand.

"Thanks, and I'm sorry again if because of me you'll be late again-"

"Get going, get going!" said Kyo, shooing Ritsu away.

"Who is she?" asked Tohru.

"_He_," corrected Kyo. 

"That's another Sohma," informed Yuki. "So is she." He looked down at the girl. "This is Kisa, also my relative."

Tohru knelt down so she and the girl would be face to face. "Hello! I'm Tohru Honda! How do you do, Kisa?"

No reply from the little girl.

She laughed uneasily. "It's ok if you don't want to talk to me." She turned her back on the lass and sighed.

"She's not talkative," explained Yuki, wanting to make her feel better.

"Naruhodo," she said slowly.

Kyo looked at his watch then at Kisa. "So what do we do with her?"

"I'll bring her home to Shigure," volunteered Tohru. "You two can go ahead of me."

"But-"

She shook her head smilingly. "You're in the first section, Yuki. They'll miss you for sure if you don't get there in time." She turned to Kyo. "And Kagura-san might not be too happy if she learns that you were late for school."

"Well, you have a point there," said Kyo, rubbing his cheek.

Yuki was reluctant, but he nodded. "Take care, Honda-san."

She nodded. "I will." She took Kisa's hand. "Let's go?"

The lass snatched her hand away from Tohru's.

She sighed again and plastered a smile on her face again forcibly. "Let's go!"

Tohru looked at the quiet girl beside her. She had tried to strike a conversation but Kisa was unreceptive. She wondered how the little girl was brought up.

She was shocked when she suddenly felt something hit her on the back of her head. She turned around. "Hey-" She paused when she saw a boy holding a rock, and was throwing it up and down his palm. "Who are you?"

"Where are you taking Kisa, lady kidnapper?" he barked.

__

Lady Kidnapper? She placed her hands on her hips. "Excuuuuse me, little boy, but I'm not a kidnapper! I volunteered to take her home-ugh!" She was thrown another rock again, and it her on the forehead. Blood dripped down her eyes.

"Hiro-kun, matte!" said Kisa, alarmed.

The boy stopped. "Did the old lady hurt you?"

__

Old lady?!

"No, she's telling the truth. She's taking me home to Shigure-san!" she said.

"Oh?" He looked at Tohru testily. "Why didn't you say so earlier, then that would have saved you the wound?"

"How should I say what I was supposed to say when you took me by surprise?!!" she cried.

"I was just being cautious. What if you were really a kidnapper? Should I announce to the world what move I was going to do? That I was going to attack you?" he asked.

"Well, in the process, you hurt me!" she said.

"Too bad," he said, shrugging. He approached Kisa. "Are you sure that the witch didn't hurt you?"

"Witch?!" Tohru cried. It felt silly to argue with a boy, but he was speaking like an adult. "Take that back!"

"Alright then, _hag_," said the boy, smirking.

Shigure smiled upon seeing the children. "It's been quite a while, Kisa, Hiro."

The kids nodded.

He then noticed the wound on Tohru's forehead that the latter was wiping with her hanky. "Tohru, what happened?"

Hiro choked.

"I-I just..slipped and fell. I hit my head on something hard, " she stammered.

"Clumsy girl," he said gently. "I'll find some cotton swabs and some alcohol-"

"No need! I'm ok!" She looked at the clock. "I'm going to be late for school." She smiled at Kisa and Hiro. "See you guys later!"

On her way out, she heard Kisa asking who she was.

"Yuki's personal attendant and our little domestic angel," replied Shigure.

"Oh. Yuki's slave and your house maid," said Hiro.

Tohru fought the urge to go back and hit the boy's head.

__

More Sohmas in the house. I wonder what more is in store for me, she mused.

****

tsuzuku


	5. Too Close For Comfort

****

Chapter 05: Too Close For Comfort

* * *

**__**

The Chapter is dedicated to my FB-fanatic friend, Omi

* * *

To Tohru's surprise, she found her master waiting for her outside the gates of the school. Upon seeing her, he rushed towards her.

"Honda-san!" His eyes widened upon seeing the bruise on her forehead.

"It's ok, Yuki! It was my fault. I slipped…and hit my head on the railing," she said, using the same excuse she gave Shigure.

"Did you lurch forward or backward?" he asked.

"F-Forward," she stammered.

"Really?" he asked. "When did you start to learn how to lie?"

"H-Huh?"

"How can you fall forward and get bruised both on your forehead and at the back of your head?" He took out his hanky and started to wipe her wound gently. "What really happened, Honda-san?"

She had no choice but to narrate to him the whole story.

After she finished her narration, Yuki turned grim. "I won't let that boy get away from this!"

"Don't worry, Yuki. It's just a small bruise. I won't die of hemorrhage because of this," she said lightly.

"But Honda-san-"

"You worry too much when it must be my job to do that for you," she said.

He looked away. "I can't help it," he said softly. "You are just too…_fragile_."

Her heartbeat quickened. _Fragile_? As in something delicate that he must take care of and protect?

She shook her head vehemently. The mushiness of the shoujo mangas she read was already see seeping into her system!

"Maybe we ought to have the school physician look at your injury," he said his voice business-like again.

"I'll be late-"

"I'll talk with your teacher. I'm sure she will understand." He took her bag and carried it for her.

Upon entering the school premises, he maintained a safe distance between them. She was puzzled, but soon she realized why.

The members of his fans club were standing by, and they shrieked at the sight of him.

She smiled wanly. He was just protecting her from the jealousy of his super-obsessed fans. She nearly forgot that he belonged to the masses.

At lunchtime…

Kyo was equally outraged after learning what happened to her, only he was more vocal than Yuki. "That boy will pay dearly!" he yelled as he slammed his fists on his desk, rattling the plates set on his desk.

Kagura quietly fixed the plates. "Don't break them." She finished setting Kyo's lunch on his desk. "OK, dig in!"

Tohru bit on her sandwich. "How old is Hiro?"

"Eleven or twelve?" said Kagura.

"Ten?" guessed Kyo."We don't exactly keep each other's birthday calendars, you know," said Yuki wryly.

Tohru chewed on her sandwich, reflecting on how _un_intimate the bond between Sohmas is.

"But Hiro Sohma's personality is just like that. He loves Kisa very much and acts as her protector at all times. That made him mature quickly," explained Kagura.

Tohru frowned thoughtfully. "I see." She recalled how fierce the lad's face was when he thought that she was going to harm Kisa.

She then remembered her moment with her master ago when he confessed that he couldn't help but worry about her. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye and smiled. Having someone like Yuki Sohma worry about her makes her feel so.._feminine_.

"Anything wrong, Tohru?" asked Yuki when he caught her gaze.

She blushed and looked down. _Not again! Why couldn't she stop sneaking glances at him?_

"Does your bruise still hurt?" asked Kagura.

She nodded slowly.

"Then you should be home, resting," said Kyo.

"B-But I still need to buy groceries thid afternoon-"

"I'll take care of it," promised Yuki.

Kagura looked at her cousin, stunned. Since when did the Prince learn to volunteer in domestic chores?

"Hah! If I know, you're planning to buy poison to mix in my milk!" said Kyo, glaring at Yuki.

"I won't waste a cent on your assassination since you can get yourself killed anytime without my help, knowing what a _blockhead_ you are," Yuki shot back coolly.

"If you don't trust Yuki then why don't you shop with him?" suggested Kagura.

"What?! Spend time with that snob?" exclaimed Kyo. "I'd rather buy myself a poison and mix in my milk!"

"Do me a favor and mix it _really_ well," said Yuki dryly.

Kagura sighed. "I guess that means I must come with you two, just to make sure you won't try to murder each other." She faced Tohru. "Will you be ok?"

"Of course!" She picked her bag up. "I'm going home already."

Yuki and Kyo both stood up to accompany her, but she shook her head. "I can manage to go home by myself."

Shigure was surprised to see her home early, but he looked pleased. "As soon as you feel better, come down and chat with me."

"Will do!"

"And if you don't feel better within an hour, I'll call Ha-san already."

She had no idea who was Ha-san, but she was too tired to ask. She went straight to her room and to her bed. As soon as she felt the mattress underneath her, her eyelids started to get heavy. She was about to drift asleep when she felt something creep up her legs.

She lazily picked it up. It was warm and squishy. She opened her eyes to know what it was.

Her heart froze.

Her jaw dropped.

And she let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Hiro stepped out from where he was hiding, laughing hysterically. "Baby! Are you afraid of an itsy-bitsy mousy?"

When he received no reply, his laughter ceased. He looked at Tohru, who was clutching her blanket as if it was a lifesaver. "Hey, Honda Tohru?" He blinked when he saw her shoulder shaking violently. "Honda Tohru?"He panicked when he heard a sob from her. "Y-You're not c-crying..are you?"

Kisa appeared in the doorway. "Hiro, that wasn't very nice."

Hiro bit his lip. "B-But it was just a harmless prank.."

"You shouldn't use people's morbid fears in that way," said the girl disapprovingly.

Just then, Shigure appeared. 'What's going on here? Why did I hear Tohru scream?"

Kisa looked at the boy expectantly.

Hiro looked down. "It's like this-"

"It's my fault," said Tohru. "I-I thought a mouse crept on me, but it was just Hiro's hand, waking me up."

"Oh?" Shigure looked at the three skeptically.

"I'm sorry for disturbing you, Shigure," she apologized.

After the man left, Hiro looked at Tohru. "Why didn't you tell him it was my fault? I could have gotten into trouble and you would have gotten even with me!"

She smiled in reply. "I never like revenge. It's not healthy. What good would I get from it after the initial pleasure? I would be just as naughty as you if I do that."

Hiro blinked, then fled from the room.

Kisa watched her cousin go. "He..understood what you wanted to say." She looked up to Tohru. "It was his first time to get scolded, and I thank you for that." She bowed and left the room.

Tohru smiled.

That night, Yuki visited her in the bedroom, carrying her dinner. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better!" she replied enthusiastically as she looked down at the bowl of noodles in front of her. "Smells great!"

"I took your assignments from your classmates. As soon as you feel well, we'll study together," he said.

"That's a promise!" she said as she spooned food into her mouth. "Mmm! Delicious! Did you cook this?"

"Well, if you call boiling the water for the instant_ ramen_ cooking, then yes, I cooked it," he replied.

"Hey, I can always teach you, Yuki!" she said between eating.

He chuckled and wiped the soup liquid at the corner of her mouth.

Tohru nearly dropped her bowl in surprise. His action suddenly made her feel too intimately close with him.

And his purple eyes gazing at her…they were burning her!

Mercifully, he stood up. "I better go down and check on the _baka neko_ and Hiro or the kid might end up getting skinned alive."

"Thanks for the dinner again!" said Tohru, grateful that no shakiness was evident in her voice.

As soon as he shut the door of Tohru's room, Yuki sighed. "Good lord, I'm just as idiotic as that _neko_ is. Why can't I keep myself away from her? If she learns my secret…" His grip on the knob tightened. Now more then ever, he was determined not to let her know about the secret of the Sohma clan.

****

tsuzuku


	6. A Knight in Shining Armor

****

Chapter 6: A Knight in Shining Armor

Tohru woke up again, her heartbeat racing. She gasped, catching her breath. "Kami-sama…not again..not another dream of a mouse." 

It was more vivid than before.

But why?

"More rice, please!" called Shigure.

"More milk!" called Kyo.

Kisa silently lifted her bowl towards Tohru.

It was the next morning, and everything was back to normal. Tohru was busy attending to the now much bigger Sohma family.

Tohru sweatdropped when she saw the near empty rice cooker. It was barely enough for her master's meal. She closed the rice cooker. "I'll skip breakfast," she decided. "I'll just save this for Master Yuki." She turned to the refrigerator, and to her surprise, someone opened it for her.

Yuki smiled at her. "Ohayou." He stooped to get a bottle of milk. "For the _baka neko_, right?"

"Right!"

"Mix it with leeks. Kyo likes his milk flavored," he suggested, hiding a diabolical smile.

"Honto?" She handed him two bowls. "Can you please give this to Shigure and Kisa? I'll just go get some leeks in the garden"

"What's taking my milk so long?" complained Kyo.

Tohru rushed into the dining room. "G-Gomen!" She placed the warm milk in front of him.

"Odd color," remarked Shigure.

Yuki smiled. "Honda-san gave you the herbal version of milk. It's much healthier."

Kyo looked at the drink distrustfully before taking a big gulp of it.

"Well?" asked Tohu eagerly. "Yuki told me you like your milk flavored with leeks so I mixed some on your drink!"

His eyes widened, then he ran towards the sink to throw up.

"You're getting more evil everyday, Sohma Yuki," said Shigure, wagging his finger playfully.

Tohru hurried towards Kyo. "I-I'm so sorry! I didn't know!"

Hiro laughed. "Don't be, Honda Tohru. It's his fault. He didn't tell you that he hates leeks."

Kyo faced the boy angrily. "How should I know that I should advise her about those damn things anyway? How should I know that the stupid _nezumi_ will be dastardly enough to suggest to her that horrendous concoction!"

"So are you saying it's not your fault but _hers_?" snapped the boy. "Tell me, was she aware of your stupid dislikes of leeks? What hour, minute, and second did she know?"

"J-Just now," replied Kyo. "But-"

"No buts!" Hiro shot back. "You threw up awhile ago, and she doesn't know about your fear of leeks until now, just as you said. Therefore, she has an alibi. It is not _her_ fault!"

"Dammit, I'm not saying that it's _her_ fault, you twerp!"

"Twerp? That's malicious name-calling! I'm calling the police!"

"What?!" cried an outraged Kyo, wondering how did the topic shift so quickly. "I'm gonna bash your head!"

"Death threats! Boy, you're going to jail for that!"

"STOP IT!!!"

Everyone was hushed. All heads turned to Tohru.

"Please…give respect to our meal," she begged, voice quavering.

Kyo tore his eyes away from the kid. "Yeah."

"Sorry," muttered Hiro.

She smiled again. "Good. My acting convinced you. Now let's continue our meal in peace."

"Wow, Tohru! You certainly have a way with the Sohmas!" complimented Shigure.

Tohru looked at the paper, sighing.

"All those who got a grade below 50 will stay behind to clean the room," announced the teacher.

Kyo looked at the 48% written on her paper. "Bummer," he said sympathetically.

"I didn't study. I deserve this," she said with a forced smile.

"I would love to stay behind with you to help you clean, but I have my own remedial classes," he said apologetically.

"It's ok. Some of our classmates will stay behind to clean too," she said reassuringly.

The bell rang, and everyone but her and a few guy classmates stayed behind.

"This sucks!" one of her boy classmates complained as he started to mop the floor. "I studied so hard for this…damn my mental block!"

Tohru started to erase the board. The sooner he finishes this, the sooner she can get home.

Yuki sighed, relieved that at last the boring school student council meeting was over. He glanced at his watch. Tohru went home surely an hour ago. He picked up his books and started to go home.

"Honda, can you please throw the trash at the backyard incinerator?" asked the guy with eyeglasses.

She nodded. "Sure!"

"I'll help you," volunteered a brown-haired guy. 

"Thanks!" She smiled when he carried the trashcan for her.

"There!" Tohru wiped a sweat off her brow. "I guess our job is finished."

"Mine is not quite done," said the guy.

"Huh?"

She nearly screamed when he suddenly seized her arm. "Come with me."

"W-Wait! Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"Somewhere we could be _alone_."

"P-Please don't. O-Our classmates are waiting for us," she said almost beggingly.

"No, they aren't. Don't you know who I am?" he asked, grinning devilishly.

"N-No."

"Everyone knows who I am. And everyone knows that whoever comes with me will not come back untouched."

"What do you mean?" she whispered in fear. _Why didn't anyone in the room warn me?_

He threw her carelessly down the dusty floor of the abandoned janitor shed and hurriedly took his top off.

__

Oh my god. He couldn't.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, but heard only cruel laughter.

"No one's going to hear you, babe. Everyone's going home now. No one will pass by here," he said, cackling. He crouched on top of her. "I heard you and the High school prince live under the same roof. So..is he in good in bed as he is in our classes?"

"You're mistaken! There is no relationship between us!"

"Good, then at least I have one less worry in my mind." With that, he punched her stomach, and her vision started to blur.

As she felt his hand roughly rip her blouse, tears welled up in her eyes.

"Yuki…Yuki…"she repeated over and over.

"Still calling your prince charming's name?" asked the boy as he nuzzled her neck. "He won't come. He doesn't even know you're here."

She knew that. But her heart was still stubbornly calling his name.

"Yuki…help…me…" she whispered with her last ounce of strength.

"Bullshit!!"

Her heart jumped. She knew that voice.

She felt the weight on top of her disappear. When she looked up, she saw her attacker being punched furiously by Yuki. Her master's usually calm purple eyes now blazed in wild fury.

"I'm so sorry Sohma-" His words were cut off by Yuki's punch.

"What you did to Honda-san…is beyond forgivable!" He aimed his fist at the boy's face again.

"Yuki!" she cried.

He froze.

"Don't..you might kill him," she pleaded.

He was paralyzed by indecision. "This guy nearly raped you. I can not forgive him."

"And I won't forgive you too if you harm anyone seriously..even him," she said.

He reluctantly threw the boy on the wall. "Never ever mess with Honda-san again!"

"Yuki…"

He tore his eyes away from the boy. "Honda-san?" His wild purple eyes calmed down upon seeing her begging brown ones. His breathing returned to normal. Quickly, he knelt down beside her and slid off his top to wrap around her torn blouse. "Did he hurt you, Honda-san?"

"N-No."

"Are you sure? Because if he did..I'll kill him. Heavens forbid, but I will." He dried her tears with the back of his palm. "No one will ever lay a finger on you again…not when I'm around."

His words comforted her. Suddenly,s he felt that she wanted to sleep. She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes.

She didn't see anymore the smoke, or the transformation behind the smoke screen.

****

tsuzuku


	7. The Sweet Spirit of Kindness

****

Chapter 7: The Sweet Spirit of Kindness

__

Tasukete…tasukete…

Tohru's mind was reeling. She was about to be raped! Her heart was calling only one name.

And all she could see was one face. 

"Yuki!" she cried.

A shadow emerged from the darkness.

"Y-Yuki?" She then froze.

It was a life-sized mouse with big, violet eyes.

"Onee-chan?"

Her eyes flapped open.

Kisa looked at her worriedly. "You were screaming for help, and Yuki's name too."

She looked around. She was back in her room in the Sohma residence. She was safe.

She then remembered her nightmare in school. Just the very thought weakened her.

"Rest, onee-chan. Hatori-san told us to ensure that you get enough bed rest to recover from the trauma," explained the little girl.

"W-Where is Yuki?"

"He's in the police station with Kagura, Kyo and Shigure. They're pressing charges against that asshole who attacked you," said Hiro.

A handsome man appeared in the room. "Good, you're awake, Honda Tohru. How are you feeling now?"

She looked at Kisa inquiringly.

"He is Sohma Hatori, the clan doctor," explained the girl. The man nodded politely.

__

So this is Ha-san, the one Shigure was talking about.

"Shigure and the others will be home soon," Hatori continued. "I'll give them the rest of the instructions." He was about to leave the room when he faced her again. "Tell me, how are you related to the Sohma?"

"I-I'm their house helper," she replied.

"And lately, have you noticed anything _strange_ or _peculiar_ here in the house?"

"L-Like what?" she asked.

Kisa looked at Hiro then at Hatori. The doctor cleared his throat. "Never mind." He reached for the doorknob. "It was a good thing Yuki sensed you were in danger."

Her forehead creased.

"He came back to school after learning you weren't home yet," explained Hiro.

Her eyes widened. So her master didn't happen to just pass by. He _knew_ she was in danger.

"Thank God," she murmured, holding her hands in prayer.

Kisa clasped her hands. "We are here," she said in quiet reassurance.

She smiled tearfully.

"You're back," said Hatori solemnly when Shigure and the others had arrived.

Kagura shot Kyo a worried look. He was the one most utterly destroyed when they learned of Tohru's near-rape.

"Screw him," cursed Kyo under his breath before he went straight up to the roof.

She sighed sadly then looked at the others. "It was a good thing I passed by school to check on Kyo. I found Tohru sleeping beside the nezumi."

Yuki nodded slowly. The minute Tohru's head laid on his chest and her arms flung around his neck, he transformed into a mouse. Fortunately for him, Tohru has already lost consciousness and no one was able to see what happened.

"So what happened to the criminal?" asked Hatori.

"Well, Yuki already gave him a _huge_ dose of his martial arts skills, and Kyo gave him a second blow," Shigure smiled wanly. "And I delivered the _coup de grace."_

"Then he must be in a really bad shape," commented Hatori. "So will you still allow the girl to go to school?"

Yuki shook his head firmly.

"Onee-chan, don't stand up yet!" cried Kisa when Tohru weakly stood up. "You're not yet allowed by Hatori-san to walk!"

Tohru shook her head smilingly. "But I could hear everyone's voices! They're home! I want to see them already!" She hurriedly limped towards the living room. "Minnasan!"

All heads turned towards her.

"Tohru-kun!" smiled Shigure, relieved that she was fine. 

Yuki's eyes echoed the same emotion. "Are you well enough to get out of bed, Honda-san?" 

"I'm not sick!" she said defiantly. She twirled around for them. "See?" She straightened up. "So what do you guys want for dinner?"

"Don't bother," said Yuki. "I'll do the cooking tonight."

"Please don't," begged Shigure.

Tohru giggled. "I'll be fine. I'll be making some anti-leeks recipe just for Kyo." She scanned the room for him, but didn't see him. "W-Where's Kyo?"

Kagura looked pointedly at the roof.

"I'll go fetch him," decided Tohru, leaving the room.

Shigure looked at Kyo's fiancée, puzzled. "Normally, you don't let any female creature - not even a female _cat_ - near Kyo. Why the sudden change?"

Kagura smiled. "She's so nice that I cannot find the will in my heart to even dislike her."

Tohru found Kyo lying on the roof, looking at the big full moon floating on the starless night sky. She was just about to walk towards him when he jumped up, alert, in a fighting stance. "Who's there?" he shouted. "Is that you, Kusu Yuki?"

"Matte-" Her words were cut off by Kyo's swift fist coming towards her face. "Kyo!"

He froze just in time. "Tohru!" His fist retreated. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I" She couldn't speak. Her heart was beating fast. Awhile ago, she was just a few inches away from getting a black eye courtesy of Kyo's powerful fist!

"You shouldn't have been here," he said gruffly.

"I-I'm sorry. I was just about to leave-" She turned her back when his hand touched her shoulder.

"N-No, it's ok. I mean," He sighed. "Sorry," he said curtly.

__

Apologies are never easy.

"I'm sorry too, for intruding on your privacy," she said. "I just-"

"Tohru-kun!"

Both of them looked down. Shigure was waving at them. "We're kinda starving down here already!"

"Oh my! I'll be down in a sec!" She looked at Kyo.

"I'll eat later," he promised. "I'm just not hungry now."

"O-Okay," she said before climbing down.

Shigure saw Yuki leaning on the wall, arms crossed, eyes shut in contemplation.

"Why did you have to make me the one to call them down to eat?" asked the writer. "You saw them first, right?"

He didn't reply. True, he followed Tohru outside and saw her with Kyo on the roof, his cousin touching her shoulder. He then felt the change of atmosphere, into a one cozy for two, leaving him out.

And he didn't like _that_ one bit.

Shigure smiled knowingly. "You're jealous. _Insanely_ jealous."

"Yeah," he replied absent-mindedly, then blinked. He shook his head vehemently. "HELL NO!!!"

"I already got the answer I needed the first time." Shigure patted his shoulders. "Don't worry. Aya will be _delighted_ to help you out with your love woes."

"Whoever said anything about woes, least of all _love_?!" he snapped. He silently wondered which one was worse: Shigure, of all people, sensing his feelings for Tohru, or Shigure dragging his estranged elder brother into this.

"Tohru."

She turned around and saw Kyo. She smiled. "Yes?"

"I'm sorry if I wasn't there to protect you from that beast," he said softly.

She was rendered speechless.

"I feel so bad being the cause for what happened. If I didn't go to my remedial classes and left you alone, this wouldn't have happened," he admitted.

"Is that what's making you feel down?" she asked.

"The guilt is killing me," he confessed.

"Kyo, don't." She stepped towards him and looked straight at his troubled eyes. "Hearing from you the thought of protecting me is enough for me. None of these is your fault." 

He was stunned. "Y-You're not mad at me?"

"No!" She pulled him into the house. "Now let's go get that leeks-free dinner, ok?"

He smiled, finally. "I hope we have lots of milk too."

"Oh, _lots_."

"Leeks-free too?"

"Definitely." She then saw Shigure and Yuki talking on the steps of the house. "Yuki-kun!" She dragged Kyo behind her. "Let's eat!" 

Shigure grinned. "I'm going in. Hatori must be lonely in there, sitting all by himself."

Tohru grabbed Yuki's hand and pulled the cousins into the house. "Come on!"

Kisa watched Tohru pull her cousins into the house. "I like her," she said.

Hiro groaned. "She's babyish. She's scared of mice." But he didn't elaborate anymore.

The little girl giggled. "I hope she won't leave this place ever!"

__

She's the sweet spirit of kindness in the empty lives of the Sohmas. I cannot imagine what will happen to the volatile-tempered Kyo, cold, secretive Yuki, and impeccably cheerful Shigure without her.

****

tsuzuku

__


	8. The Rat is Out of the Bag

Chapter 08: The Rat is Out of the Bag 

Yuki yawned as he groggily headed for the bathroom, towel on his shoulder. He knew there were killer eye bags on his face for he was up all night, staring at the ceiling, driving himself crazy with what he saw last night.

Tohru. Kyo. Together. Alone in the roof.

White-hot anger burned within him. It was unexplainable. His rational mind says that Tohru might just be coaxing Kyo to eat, but his heart was stubbornly telling him that..well..he didn't like what he saw.

He pushed open the door of the bathroom. He could vaguely hear the sound of the shower. _Shigure?_

He rubbed his eyes sleepily and looked again.

His eyes widened.

Blood rushed to his face.

Before him was a femininely shaped naked body who's back was turned on him, but he could vividly see the curves in her body that were all in the right places.

"Honda-san!"

Tohru froze. She thought she heard Yuki's voice! She reached for her wristwatch as she turned the shower off. It was 4:15 in the morning. No one could be _possibly_ up yet but her. The Sohma boys are not usually awake until they smell the aroma of hearty breakfast. 

She must have just imagined the voice.

But she had to make sure.

Wrapping her bathrobe around her, she went out of the bathroom and looked around. The whole house was still dark.

She then noticed a pile of clothes on the floor that she recognized as Yuki's. She knelt down and gathered them one by one. But when she picked the last article of clothing, a small white mouse peeked out of it and jumped towards her!

"A mouse!!!!" Tohru let out a bloodcurdling scream that echoed all over the Sohma house.

"Onee-chan, here. The tea will calm you down," said Kisa as she gave Tohru a cup of green tea.

"T-Thanks," she smiled shakily as she accepted the cup.

"Now I understand what you mean by musophobia," said Hiro wryly. "How pathetic."

"Hiro!" said Kisa warningly.

"What? What did I say?" he said.

"B-But he's right," said Tohru slowly. "I_ am _pathetic. I'm much bigger than a mouse and yet I freak out when I see one."

"What happened anyway, Tohru-kun?" asked Shigure, although he could already guess what happened.

Tohru narrated what happened a while ago. "I'm sorry if I disturbed you guys," she finished apologetically.

Shigure nodded to himself. "I see." 

He was right. It was Yuki.

Mother of Christ, he hit the jackpot! Maybe I should ask him what time did he wake up so I can synchronize my waking time with Tohru's  too. I wonder if he was able to memorize Tohru-kun's statistics…

Hiro looked at the elder Sohma with narrowed eyes. Adults. They either become insanely boring or insanely perverted.

"Girly boy!!!"

Yuki glanced at the furious Kyo heading towards him. He stood up and placed his book down. "I could charge you for trespassing, _baka neko_. This is my room, and I didn't remember giving you the permission to go in."

Ignoring him, Kyo grabbed him by the collar. "How dare you play peeping tom, and of all people, why _her_?!!"

"Get your claws off me, _baka neko_," he ordered. "It was an accident. I_didn't_know."

"And as if _that_ isn't enough, you just had to transform into a rat and scare the living daylights out of her!" continued the _neko _furiously.  " You know how much she hates mice!"

His temper boiled. "**Get out!!!"** He kicked his cousin out of his room.

"Yuki-kun?"

He blinked. Tohru was looking at him expectantly. "I-I'm sorry, Honda-san. What is it that you were saying?" he asked, smiling apologetically.

"I was asking if I woke you up when I screamed this morning," she said shyly.

The rat incident again. "I was already awake. I was taking my dirty clothes from my secret base so I can do the laundry," he lied.

Her eyes widened. "W-What time did you do that?"

"Midnight. I couldn't sleep."

"Y-You dropped some clothes on the way," she said nervously.

He tried his best to look surprised. "I did?"

She sighed, relieved. "Yes, Yuki-kun." _He didn't catch me showering after all! I just wasn't able to notice his clothes on my way to the bathroom!_

She smiled cheerfully. "Oh by the way, you said something about secret bases."

He looked away shyly. "Yes. My sanctuary that gives me solace when I'm depressed."

"When I was a kid, I have playmates that have secret bases too, but they keep on telling me that it was _boys' stuff_ and that I wouldn't understand because I'm a girl," she narrated brightly. "Boy, I'm so pissed off!"

"There's nothing great about my base," he said. 

"I don't think so," she said. "If that place is your sanctuary, then it must be sacred and important to you. And if it's important to Sohma-kun then I think it's important to me too."

"Honda-san…"

"Uo-chan! Hana-chan!" Tohru turned to him. "I'll see you later, ok?"

"_Later_," he said meaningfully. "Uh, Honda-san?"

"H-Hai?"

"Would you like to visit my secret base this afternoon?"

She beamed brightly. "You bet!"

"I thought you wouldn't make the girl go to school anymore," said Hatori as he and Shigure drank tea.

"The little girl was stubborn," replied Shigure. "She promised her deceased mother that she would finish high school, so she wouldn't let a little incident like that prevent her from fulfilling her promise."

"Does she already know about the Juunishi curse?"

"No, and she never will."

"Won't you consult the clan head for this?"

"I'll approach him when the circumstances call for it, and I pray it never will. We love her already, and we don't want to lose her."

"Look here, Yankee. I _know _you pulled a quickie under the table. I _saw_ it!" screamed Kyo, throwing his cards angrily on the desk.

"Hah! Why are you blaming me for what you did? I was the one who caught you! You're just reversing the whole story!" retorted Uo.

 Hana put her cards down resignedly. "Both of you cheated. I _saw_ both of you."

"We did not!" said the two at the same time self-righteously.

Tohru sighed. Her best friends Uotani Arisa and Hanajima Saki were playing card games with her at first, but she was one defeat away from losing the friendly bet.

Kyo, however, intervened and played the rest of the games for her. He won her four straight games.

It was the last game, and it was a particularly intense one, for it would determine who would win the game in the race to five.

"Cards down, dammit!" challenged Kyo furiously, slamming his fist on the table.

"Lay them open first," said Uo in counter challenge.

Tohru sighed again. "Relax, you guys. It's only a game. I don't mind losing, really. It won't be too hard on my part to treat Uo-chan and Hana-chan to tempura this weekend."

Kyo's blazing eyes pierced hers. "No way!!! This is beyond tempura already. This is a fight…a fight for principles!" He stared daggers at Uo. "I'll cream this yankee even if it's the last thing I do!"

"Exactly my thoughts, Carrot Top!" said Uo in a venomously sweet voice.

Tohru retreated from the group to check whether the teacher is there already. She has a feeling that Mayu-sensei would like her students gambling in the room.

But she bumped right into Yuki.

"Honda-san, where are you going?" he asked, giving her a smile he reserved only for her. Behind him, girls started to swoon. 

"Oh, Yuki-kun!" she exclaimed. "I was just going to check if Mayu-sensei is here." She gestured to the crowd around Kyo and Uo. "She might scold them for playing cards in the classroom."

"Looks like the _baka neko_ is losing," he remarked when Kyo threatened to break the table into two.

"Oh my!" exclaimed Tohru nervously. "He sure is..um.._high-spirited_." She looked at her master. "Can I do anything for you, Yuki-kun?" she asked, going back to her personal attendant-mode.

He smiled. "No. I just want to see you."

She blushed.

"Aside from that, I'm here to-" His words were cut off when Mayu-sensei arrived.

"I heard you requested to be transferred to section D," the teacher began. "Don't you like it anymore in Section A?"

Yuki shook his head. "No particular reason. I just want a change of scenery."

"You mean, you are going to be my classmate, Yuki-kun?" cried Tohru excitedly.

He nodded.

Kyo overheard it. "What?!!!!" His eyes were wide with horror. "You can't do this!"

"Watch me," said Yuki calmly as he entered the classroom confidently.

The whole afternoon, Yuki showed the class why he was considered the "Prince", both academically and athletically. Tohru's classmates swooned readily, and they were torn between Kyo and Yuki.

Later that afternoon…

"We will be taking up chinese literature tomorrow. Your assignment is to write what you know about the very renowned tale of the Juunishi," said Mayu-sensei.

Tohru clapped her hands in delight. "Wow! I can't wait! I love the cat of that tale!" She then paused when she realized that everyone was staring at her. She didn't know that she had voiced her thoughts loudly.

Kyo, blushing faintly, croaked, "What is it that you like about cats? They're really no good."

"Cats are fools," said Yuki coldly. "They have bad attitudes."

The teacher laughed uneasily.  "We'll discuss about that tomorrow."

As Yuki walked Tohru to her new part-time job as a cleaner, she looked at the strangely quieter-than-usual boy.

"Yuki-kun?"

No reply.

"Yuki-kun?" She touched his shoulder.

He jumped, startled.

"Is there something in your mind?"

"No."

"A-Are you..mad at me, Yuki-kun? For what happened in the classroom?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"No!" he said curtly. He then sighed deeply. "No," he said in a subdued voice.

"You don't like cats at all, do you, Yuki-kun?" She smiled sadly. "That is too bad."

"I don't mind at all if you like cats, Honda-san. I'm not mad at you for that."

"Really? Really?"

"Yes, Honda-san, yes."

She hugged her books to her chest. "The Juunishi tale is my favorite! I ask my mother to tell me that tale over and over every night. My favorite Juunishi animal is the cat, because I pity it. It was the rat's fault why the cat was left out in the mythical twelve."

He looked down, not commenting.

"If I can summon enough courage not to freak out when I see a rat, I'll ask it why it tricked the cat," she finished.

"It will answer 'It's not the rat's fault that the cat is so gullible,' Honda-san," said Yuki.

Their conversation was cut short by strong gusts of wind. Yuki grew alarmed. "My secret base!" Then he glanced at Tohru, reluctant to leave her. He was afraid that the incident would happen again if he leaves her alone. If her near-rape happens again, he could never forgive himself.

But to his surprise, Tohru looked as worried as he was. "Then we have to save it!" She hurriedly grabbed his hand and pulled him to the opposite direction.

"B-But what about your job?"

"It's ok. I'll come late only this once," she replied.

"Honda-san?"

"No time to chitchat, Yuki-kun!" she cried. "We must defend your base before the savage winds ravage it!"

"But Honda-san, do you even know which way is it to my base?"

She paused. "Er, come to think of it.." She grinned sheepishly. "I don't."

He was stunned, and then he burst out in delighted laughter. Tohru was surprised but she joined in his laughter anyway.

_It was the first time I heard Yuki-kun laugh with no force or touch of sarcasm at all_, she reflected. _And his laughter makes my heart feel so light and bouncy._

"Oh!" Tohru was pleasantly surprised that Yuki's secret base was actually a vegetable plot.

"I grow a lot of things here," he explained as he hurriedly secured his plants. 

"But the leeks…"

"I grow them where the _baka neko_ can see it. Just to spite him," he said nonchantly.

Tohru sighed.

He smiled sardonically. "You must be thinking how incredibly immature I am, right?"

"I don't understand why you two fight, so I have no right to judge," she said slowly. "But I do know for a fact that Kyo-kun's nice too. In fact, if you give him a chance-"

He could feel the surge of white-hot anger within him again. "You're just saying that because you love cats!" he said, his voice rising a decibel.

"What has it got to do with that?" a bewildered Tohru asked.

He didn't reply. Instead he stood up. "The wind is getting harsher. Let's go in."

"Yuki-kun! Yuki-" Tohru stood up to follow him but slipped on the moist garden soil. She stumbled forward towards him.

As if in a slow motion, a startled Yuki instinctively reached out to catch her. As soon as her arms flung around his waist, smoke appeared.

Before her very eyes, Yuki transformed into a rat.

**tsuzuku**    

  
  
  



	9. Aftermath

****

Chapter 09: Aftermath

__

Okaasan, was everything that happened awhile ago all a dream?

Did the Prince Yuki transform into a rat in front of my eyes?

Is it possible, okaasan?

"Tohru-kun, snap out of it!" a voice ordered.

She opened her eyes and saw Shigure looking down at her, shielding her with his umbrella. She checked herself. She was still kneeling on the ground, clutching Yuki's clothes. The mouse had run off ages ago.

"Shigure-san, Yuki-kun..Yuki-kun.." She was on the verge of tears.

"I guess the time has come for you to learn about our most-kept secret."

"S-Secret?" she echoed.

Amidst the crashing sounds of thunder and flashes of lightning, the mouse Yuki ran, not knowing its exact destination, but just wanting to run away from her.

His mind was in turmoil. His heart was in despair.

__

Now she knows. Now she hates me. Now she fears me. Now she finds me disgusting.

He felt himself transform back to human, but it didn't console him.

__

I hate myself for being a Sohma mouse. Why? Of all animals, why the Juunishi rat?

He could remember very well the look of shock in Tohru's face when she saw his alter-personality. He could never forget that look.

__

I hate myself. I hate myself.

He wearily sat down behind the tree, deciding to use the time to think what he should do next.

Tohru was _shocked_, to put it mildly. Her housemates transform into _Juunishi_ animals when hugged by the opposite sex or when they get nervous!

"Now you know, Tohru-kun. I shall not ask anymore what you feel about us. The question is, what would you do next?" asked Shigure grimly, waiting for the girl before him to freak out, faint, or run away.

"I'll go after Yuki-kun!"

Shigure was surprised. "Huh?"

"If he is still in his mouse form, then he might get stepped on or something!" cried Tohru. "I'm taking him home. He might get sick with the chill."

"Tohru-kun, how about your fear of rats?" asked the man.

She smiled bravely. "I-I'll think of something. All I want to do know is to find Yuki-kun." She looked down. "But how? He could be anywhere!"

Shigure smiled. "Hug me then, Tohru-kun."

"Perverted old man!"

Tohru and Shigure turned around and saw Kyo looking at Shigure with annoyance. "How can you think of _those_ things when we have a _situation_ here!" yelled the _neko_.

"Ha ha! I didn't know your mind is that dirty, Kyo! I was suggesting that so I will become a dog and use my extra-sharp senses to find Yuki-kun," explained the man.

"Yeah right," muttered Kyo.

Tohru nodded and hugged Shigure.

__

Poof!

"Achoo!" Yuki sneezed. His bronchitis was acting up again because of the chill. Being barenaked does not help too.

"Maybe you should go back to them now," a gentle voice advised him.

He looked up and found a white-haired guy sitting on the treetop, looking down at him serenely.

"You might just catch cold out here," the mysterious boy continued.

"I don't care why you should care."

"Maybe I shouldn't, but Hatori-san told me that some girl might care about what happens to you," he shot back. 

Yuki tucked his knee in. "I just lost that girl."

"Really?" The boy sounded surprised. "But she's coming this way, with Shigure-san and the neko."

Yuki was stunned. _Tohru?_ He didn't dare to hope, but his heart was starting to beat excitedly.

At that moment, he heard a familiar voice.

"Yuki-kun!! Yuki-kun, where are you?" called Tohru worriedly. "Come out now or you'll get cold!!"

"Honda-san!" He stood up, and the boy on the tree threw him a jacket.

"Cover yourself, or you might freak her out," said the boy. "Not that your body isn't great but-"

"Shut up!!" yelled Yuki, his face burning.

Tohru heard him. "Yuki-kun?" She dashed madly towards the bushes. "Yuki-kun!"

Yuki turned around and saw a happy Tohru looking at him tearfully. "Yuki-kun! " she said.

He was stunned. "Honda-san, are you.." _mad at me? Afraid of me?_ He couldn't voice his fears out.

" I'm glad you're safe," she said. She walked towards him and gave his clothes.

Yuki looked at Shigure inquiringly. _Does she know already about the Juunishi curse?_

The man nodded and smiled.

"Come back with us now, Yuki-kun. You might get sick," she said, holding his hand. 

"Honda-san.."

"A-Are you still mad at me, Yuki-kun? For all those things I said about rats?" she asked in a small voice.

He shook his head smilingly. "No."

Her eyes lit up. "Then let's go back! I'll prepare you a delicious meal as a peace offering, ok? What do you want to eat?"

He clasped her hand and started to walk with her. "Leek soup."

Kyo burned. "What the-"

Haruhatsu Sohma looked at the girl walking beside Yuki. The girl with the dancing brown eyes and hair.

"She calls him by his first name…that could only mean she's not just an ordinary person in Yuki's life."

"I must know more about her," he decided. "I shall live with them. I'll ask Hatori-san. He must be in the drugstore right now, buying medicine for Momiji." He jumped down the tree and looked up the sky.

"The storm is over..for now." He continued to walk and then paused.

"I wonder which way is the drugstore again? Left or right?"

That night, Tohru was clearing the dishes when she heard a knock on the door. She dried her hands and was about to leave the sink when Kyo's head peeked in. "Hey Tohru, there's an old man looking for you outside."

She nodded. "I'll see him now."

Yuki, who was just walking down from the stairs, looked at his cousin disdainfully. "How rude. You didn't let Honda-san's guest inside the house? Cats are so ill-mannered."

"Why you damn mouse, we may be ill-mannered but at least we are not snobbish jerks!" Kyo shot back.

"Honda-san, I'll prepare the tea for you. Go see your guest," said Yuki smilingly, ignoring the burning Kyo.

"Dammit, mouse! Look at me when I'm talking to you! You're the one who's ill-mannered!" yelled Kyo.

"I take back what I said awhile ago…cats aren't ill-mannered. They have _no _manners at all," said Yuki before heading to the kitchen.

"Damn you!!!"

Tohru sighed and went outside to see who was her visitor. "Konbanwa-" She stopped.

"G-Grandpa!" she exclaimed.

"Tohru!" He hugged her tight. "It's ok to come back now. Your aunt doesn't live with me anymore. Come back to our house now."

"Grandpa!" She jumped when she heard a tray fall down behind them.

She turned around.

Yuki and Kyo were watching them, stunned.

****

To be continued

__

Unusually short, huh? Time constraint. Anyway, the chapter length shall be back to normal next chapter! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, minna-san!


	10. Fruits Basket

****

Chapter 10: Fruits Basket

"This is all too sudden," remarked Yuki as he watched Tohru pack her things.

"I know," she admitted sadly. "But I hate the thought of leaving Grandpa alone in the house."

But she didn't really want to leave the Sohma house yet. She has learned to love the place and the people living here.

She looked at Yuki who was looking at her too, face carefully devoid of emotion. "We'll still see each other in school, right?"

"Right," he agreed. He started to leave the room when he faced her again briefly. "Bye."

The door closed, leaving her stunned. Was it her or could she detect a hint of sadness in his voice?

She shook her head vehemently. "No way! Kagura-san can get another personal attendant for Yuki-kun that will be much more competent than me."

Shigure tried to stop Yuki who was walking on the hallway silently, head hung. "What's going on? What is all the racket here?" the novelist asked.

"Honda-san..is leaving."

"What!? We have to stop her then!" He started to go to Tohru's room when Yuki's hand grabbed his arm. "Her grandfather is taking her home," he explained. "She needs to attend after her own family."

"But we're her family too, right?" a little girl's voice asked sadly. He looked down and saw Kisa and Hiro in front of him.

Yuki knelt down in front of his cousin and smoothed her hair. "Yes, but you see, her grandfather needs her more, because he is old and alone."

"I need Onee-chan too," she protested weakly.

"Don't say that, Kisa. We must not be selfish. Honda-san has her own life to live," he said soothingly.

"Funny that you say that, when you sound like you're just trying to convince yourself too," remarked Hiro.

Yuki was silenced. Was his cousin that perceptive? Was his cousin right?

Fortunately he didn't have time to answer his silent questions for Tohru had emerged from her room already, carrying her duffel bags. He quickly carried her bag. "Let's go," he said.

Tohru nodded and turned to them. "Shigure-san, there's a leftover meatloaf in the refrigerator. It's reheatable. The laundry is almost done. All you guys have to do is to hang it."

The novelist nodded solemnly.

She knelt before Kisa. "I'll come visit you before I go to my part-time job, ok? Or you can ask Hiro to bring you to my place."

She nodded quietly, blinking back her tears.

She turned to Hiro. "Take care of her, ok?"

"You don't need to say that," he replied, trying to be sarcastic but lacking in force.

"W-Where's Kyo-kun?" she asked.

"He's not here. He said he' s mad at you because now it's Yuki again who will cook dinner, and he'll be forced to eat leeks again," said Hiro.

"I'll drop by here and cook for you, ok?" she said.

Yuki patted her shoulder. "Your grandfather is waiting."

She nodded and followed him outside.

Her grandfather smiled at her. "Ready?"

She nodded and took her things from her master. "Thank you, Yuki-kun."

He nodded.

"She's gone," said Hiro after a few minutes. "I..I can't believe it."

"Alas! Goodbye warm delicious homeprepared meals that serve as my only consolation here!" cried Shigure. "It's back to canned mushroom soups and Yuki's dishes again."

"Ouch. Kisa, want to go back to the main house already? Just to make sure we won't die of food poisoning and all," said Hiro.

Yuki quietly entered his room and locked himself in.

"Oh dear, did I just happen to hurt his feelings? I thought someone like Yuki has overgrown those things," said Hiro.

"He's just mourning," said Shigure knowingly.

Outside they heard Kyo scream, "Damn you, Tohru! Come back here!!!"

"He's just mourning," said Shigure again.

Tohru began to unpack her things, but then she saw Kisa's hanky in her bag. She felt her heart wrench. She misses them already. Very much.

"I wonder what they're doing right now." She absentmindedly touched her hair, then gasped.

"I left my ribbons!"

"Yuki-kun, answer the phone. Kagura wants to know if you would like her to look for another attendant!" called Shigure from the hallway.

He didn't reply. He merely stared at the ribbons that Tohru dropped awhile ago. He brought them to his lips and sighed. "My only memory of her."

But he remembered how Tohru never forgets to put them on her hair everyday. She must love these very much.

He pocketed them. "I'll return them to her tomorrow in school."

"Shigure, tell Kagura that I don't want her to look for another one!" he shouted.

Tohru was washing the dishes that night - her grandpa's house reminded her a little of the Sohma house before she came. Again, she found herself missing the Sohma place again.

"It's seven PM. Shigure-san must be in front of TV, watching a re-run of some censored films while Kyo-kun is lying on the roof, staring at the stars. Hiro and Kisa would be in the kitchen, keeping me company while I cook, and Yuki-kun will be on the kitchen table, doing my assignment for me," she said wistfully. "An hour later, Hiro would call Kyo-kun to eat downstairs, and Yuki-kun will comment on how Kyo-kun never helps at home, and they would start bickering again as Shigure-san untiringly praises my dishes and asks me to serve him rice beside him."

She didn't know that her grandfather was looking at her from the living room, watching her curiously.

The next day, Tohru woke up early to start cooking. She was about to smile when she remembered that she wasn't in the Sohma house anymore. Sighing, she went to the kitchen to start cooking breakfast.

"Milk…no leeks…lots of rice.." she couldn't resist murmuring as she made breakfast.

"Why, Tohru! That's quite a meal for just the two of us!" said her grandfather, surprised.

She blinked. She was used to making big breakfast for the big Sohma family.

"Do your former housemates like your cooking so much?" asked her Grandpa.

She smiled, grateful to have an excuse to talk about the Sohma family. "Oh yes! They appreciate the meal so much that's why it inspires me to give my best when I cook! I want to make them happy."

She remembered Shigure's glowing praises, and Kisa and Hiro's satisfied smiles. Kyo's grudging compliments and Yuki's subtle smiles of delight.

Her grandfather's eyes softened. "I see."

"Is this what I think it is?" asked Shigure, looking at the overdone eggs and bacon in front of him. "Charcoal? But we do not have a fireplace!"

"Shut up. If you don't want to eat then don't," said Yuki darkly.

"There must be another way to escape starvation." Shigure looked at the leeks. "I'll make a leek soup. What about you, Kyo?"

Kyo looked disdainfully at the food before him. This or leeks? It's like choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea! "I think I'll skip breakfast." He looked at the empty seats. "Where's Kisa and Hiro?"

"They left ages ago," said Shigure. "Hatori had them fetched upon knowing that Yuki-kun is going to be our cook again."

"Will you stop making such a fuss on my culinary skills?" snapped Yuki. He was extra-irritated today, especially when he woke up, expecting to see Tohru cooking in the kitchen already but instead found dirty dishes that Shigure didn't bother to touch.

(Shigure: What?! And contaminate my skin with your saliva germs?)

Kyo picked his bag up. "I'm leaving. I think I'll just hunt for my food. It will be tad better than poisoning myself."

"May the Holy Spirit be with you, _baka neko_," Yuki shot back bitingly. "Just don't kill Kagura by mistake!"

"Goddam mouse!"

Shigure groaned. "Oh Tohru, come back already! We need your guiding light in this otherwise dangerous abode!"

Yuki shot him a dirty look. Great, just what he needed. More emphasis on Tohru's absence.

He looked down. Beyond missing Tohru's superb dishes and peacemaking nature, he misses her presence so. His day wouldn't start without her cheerful "Ohayou!" and bright smiles.

"Ah, damn it." He stood up in a huff. "Wash the dishes, Shigure."

"What?!" The writer was horrified. "And contaminate my skin with your saliva germs?!! My health is frail, you know."

"It doesn't matter since I'll kill you anyway if you don't shut up," he said menacingly before he left the house.

"Ohayou, Yuki-kun!" greeted Tohru.

He paused when he heard the familiar angelic voice. "Ohayou, Honda-san. Did you sleep well?" he asked. Finally, his day was starting to look better.

"N-No..I mean.." Her face was flushed.

He smiled. "It's ok, Honda-san. I didn't sleep well too."

"You didn't?" she echoed.

"Yes. I was used to-" It was his turn to be rendered speechless.

"Me too," she admitted. "I miss you guys already."

"I…we miss you too, Honda-san," he stammered. 

Her brown eyes shook. "I would like to visit you guys again."

"S-Sure, no problem."

The bell rang, interrupting their conversation. 

"Let's go back, or Mayu-sensei might make us stand in the hallway for the rest of the period," said Tohru, pulling him into the classroom.

"W-Wait, your rib-" He sighed. He'll just have to give them later.

That afternoon, Yuki watched as Tohru went to her part-time job. He found himself reminiscing on the day Tohru ditched her job just to protect his secret base that he now comes to think of as "theirs". His and Tohru's.

He looked at her hair ribbons. He could feel an unexplainable ache in his heart, just thinking that those days may never happen again since she's far away from them already.

He was about to turn to leave when a voice called him. "Hey!"

He saw an old man waving at him.

"Tohru's grandfather?"

That night Tohru wearily opened the door. She accomplished her job in overtime since she has to pay for that day she didn't work. That was the day she saw Yuki's secret base.

She smiled. "I don't mind the fatigue, because it gave me and Yuki-kun time together."

"Tadaima!" she called. "Grandpa, have you eaten dinner already-oh!" She stopped when she saw Yuki carrying her things. "Yuki-kun!"

He smiled at her. "Welcome back, Honda-san. We were so worried about you!"

Kyo appeared from the kitchen. "At last, you're here. At least I can dispose of the milk of magnesia."

Shigure and her grandfather entered the living room.

"Grandpa, w-what's happening?" she asked in daze.

"Hi Tohru! We came to beg to your grandpops if we can take our sweet homemaker angel already," said Shigure.

Yuki was scandalized. "Shigure! How dare you refer to Honda-san's grandfather that way!"

The old man laughed. "I don't mind. It makes me feel young."

"Shigure-san! Kyo-kun! Yuki-kun! W-What-"

"These men seem to need you more than me," explained her grandfather. "They knelt down before me, begging me to lend you to them even at least every morning."

"K-Knelt? B-Beg?" She could imagine Shigure doing that, but Kyo and Yuki?

"We love you that much, Tohru-kun," said Shigure smilingly.

"So I decided to move in with your aunt and cousins, and so you can go back to them already," said her grandfather.

"R-Really?!" she cried in delight. "Oh, but Grandpa!"

"It's ok. I won't be happy anyway if you're not happy." He turned to the Sohmas. "Judging by their faces, I'm sure they would make you much happier than I could."

She was on the verge of tears. "G-Grandpa, I don't know what to say…"

Yuki handed her a hanky to dry her tears. "Just say you'll come back to us. We personally guaranteed to him your happiness…"

"..or he'll get his granddaughter back, no questions asked," put Shigure in.

Kyo looked at the writer with narrowed eyes. "You're watching way too many home TV shopping channels."

"A-Arigatou, Grandpa!" She hugged him, crying.

"Be happy, dear Tohru. Be happy," he said as he hugged her tight too.

Shigure, Kyo, Yuki and Tohru were walking back home together, all in a high mood. Shigure was narrating what happened while she was gone.

"..and Yuki-kun tried to kill us with his mystery dishes!" Shigure burst out laughing.

Tohru giggled.

"It's _not_ funny. I nearly starved to death, you know," said Kyo, arms crossed.

"Who told you not to eat breakfast anyway?" snapped Yuki.

"Hah! I want to live longer!"

"Maybe you two should just combat in culinary fields," suggested Tohru. "Then Shigure-san shall declare who's the better cook!"

Shigure shivered. "Please, Tohru-kun. I love my life." 

Tohru laughed.

__

It feels so good…

…to be back home…

to the fruits basket…

****

that I love.

"Honda-san?"

She turned to Yuki." H-Hai?"

He handed her a familiar-looking couple of ribbons.

"Arigatou, Yuki-kun!"

"I'm glad you're back," he murmured, flashing her a smile he reserved only for her.

She smiled back.

****

tsuzuku


	11. Issues

****

Chapter 11: Issues

"Just add a pinch of salt, like this," Tohru motioned her cooking student Yuki to watch her as she poured seasonings into the chicken broth she was making for Shigure, who was down with influenza for two days already.

"Ok," he said as he watched admiringly how her fingers were able to measure exact amounts of taste that could satisfy even the baka neko.

"Now, Yuki-kun, you add the spices."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

He scratched his chin. "I-I don't know…I might only destroy the delicious flavor you prepared so well on."

She smilingly clasped his hand. "I'm sure you'll do this just fine, Yuki-kun."

He nodded and took the flavorings. He tried his best to measure them as precisely as he could, and he would often look at Tohru's quietly watching eyes, asking for approval.

Soon, it was time to taste the dish. Tohru smiled at him. "Taste your masterpiece, Yuki-kun!"

He nodded shyly and took a spoonful of the soup. His eyes lit up. "It's…a miracle! I actually made something decently audible!" He took another spoonful and blew it, then looked at Tohru. "Taste it too, Honda-san. This wouldn't have been possible without you teaching me the procedures."

"Oh, but it was just an easy-" Her words were cut when Yuki suddenly but gently tipped her chin up.

"Here you go, Honda-san," he murmured as he spooned the food to her.

Her cheeks flooded with colors. Oh how gentle the Prince' touch was! And at the same time it was sending electric shivers up and down her spine!

Yuki wiped her the corner of her mouth with his thumb. "So..do you like it as much as I do?"

"Very much," she said, smiling brightly.

"Thank you for staying behind to look after me, Tohru-kun," said Shigure gratefully. "I know how important school is to you, but still you chose to look after lil' ol' me instead. You **do** love me after all!"

Tohru giggled. "Actually, we won't be doing academic stuff today so I opted to stay here with you. You need me more than the school anyway."

"True, true. In fact, Tohru-kun, I need you all the timeso I'll appreciate it if you'll stay by me everyday, but every _night_ is not so bad either_-" _Shigure was saying when a shoe slammed the back of his head.

"You perverted bone eater!" yelled Kyo as he took his other shoe off. "Do you really enjoy freaking young girls in your free time?"

"Why, Kyo-kun! I was just telling her how I appreciate her presence!" said the writer, defending himself.

"Kyo-kun, would you like some snacks?" asked Tohru, eager to please her favorite Juunishi animal.

He looked at her awkwardly. "Er…"

Yuki followed his cousin into the room, eyes burning.

"How about you, Yuki-kun? Would you like to have your snacks?" she asked.

He inhaled shakily then shook his head. "Maybe later, Honda-san. Right now I just want to kill a certain someone who placed my name and the baka neko's name in the list of school play participants."

She frowned. "School play?"

Kyo frowned. "Is the list of the actors out already? I hope I didn't get a sucky role or something."

Shigure, whistling, subtly slid out of the room but froze when Yuki's icy burning eyes stared daggers at him. _Stay put._

Yuki turned to the two. "The names were drawn through lottery, and guess who are the leads in the story of Snow White?"

"No," said Kyo, sounding bored.

"The Prince Charming is _me_," said Yuki through gritted teeth. "And the Snow White is…" He pointedly looked at Kyo.

The neko's eyes bulged. "Y-You're kidding!!!"

Tohru clapped her hands. "Wow, that's cool! That will give you guys a chance to get to know each other better!"

Yuki approached Shigure menacingly. "And I wanted to know who called up the school and asked our names to be included in the list when we _specifically_ didn't register for the play?"

"My, my!" was all Shigure could say as Yuki stared at him darkly.

A second later, the writer sighed. "I was just looking for an opportunity for you and Kyo to share quality cousinly time together."

Kyo groaned. "In other words, he's just looking for an opportunity to be alone with Tohru and share quality time with her. Phooey." He started to walk away when Tohru tugged on his shirt.

"Neko-san…"

"Don't call me by that name, ok?"

"Kyo-kun…"

He nodded. 

"I'll be looking forward to that play. It is a challenging role to play onstage," said Tohru gently. "But the real challenge is offstage. If you can get along with Yuki-kun at least until the curtains down of the presentation night, then I'm sure you will feel quite happy with yourself."

He was speechless for a minute, but he recovered just as quickly. "I don't need your advice on this." He jumped back to his favorite spot - the roof.

Tohru sighed. Ever since Kyo knew that she knows about the Sohma secret already, Kyo was distancing himself away from her already.

Why?

"So dear Kyo would play the princess…and my brother, Kyo's prince. Sounds very romantic." A silver-haired man drawled on the phone.

Shigure laughed on the other side of the line. "Will you do their wardrobe?"

"Sure!"

"Good! And then you'll meet the personal attendant of your brother. She's a gem!"

"Oh?" There was interest in the man's voice. "The one you told me about a few nights ago? Then I'll go there tomorrow."

The novelist laughed. "See ya, Aya!"

Tohru was hanging some clothes on the clothesline when a white-haired boy appeared beside her.

"Excuse me?" asked the boy, tapping her arm.

"Yes, can I help you?" she asked helpfully.

"Can you tell me where to find the drugstore? I've been going around the woods for days but I seem to have missed a turn or something."

"Eh?" Her eyebrow shot up. She pointed north. "Go straight ahead."

The boy rubbed his head. "So that's where I went wrong. I went south!"

"Eh?" 

The boy clasped her hands gratefully. "Thank you very much. Now I can find Hatori-san. I hope he's still there."

"Hatori-san?"

"You know him?"

"Yes!"

The boy nodded. "Well, you see, I need to ask his permission if I can live in Yuki's house for the meantime to observe a certain girl."

"Eh?" _But I'm the only female resident of Shigure's place!_

"I think he's with Shigure," she replied.

"So where is Shigure?"

"At home with Yuki-kun."

The boy bowed and trudged north.

"W-Where are you going?" asked a baffled Tohru.

"I will find Yuki's house. It will be a long, dreary journey, but for Yuki's sake, I'm willing to pound a thousand miles of ground and swim oceans after oceans." He waved at her. "Goodbye. I hope we'll meet again someday. I'll never forget you."

"B-But you're standing right in front of the Sohma residence already!" cried Tohru.

The boy did a double take. "I am?" He looked at the house. "Well, what do you know? MY journey won't be so hard after all!"

"I'm sorry if he disturbed your _sense of direction_, Honda-san," said Yuki, emerging from the house. "He's got issues. One of them is maneuvering his way out of a paper bag."

"Is he a Sohma too?" asked Tohru.

"Hatsuharu Sohma. The Juunishi cow," said Kyo from the rooftop.

Upon seeing Kyo, Tohru noticed that suddenly Haru became more hyper. "Hey, fish-brained neko! Long time no see!"

"Get a life, you loser!" barked Kyo.

Yuki gently pulled Tohru into the house. "The farther we are from them, the safer," he explained. "I'll tell you about the other issue of Haru."

"Huh?"

"The black and white sides of him."

"What! Shigure's gone _again_?" A woman was on the verge of shredding her hair to pieces. "But the deadline..the deadline…am I suppose to run blank pages? No, my life is ruined. RUINED!!!! Waaaaah!!!"

Tohru knelt before the woman. "H-Hey, are you ok?"

Yuki smiled. "Shigure's editor. He gets a kick out of freaking her out."

"Why didn't I choose a less stressing job like alligator wrestling instead?!!! Waaaaah!!!!!"

Tohru frowned. "But come to think of it, Shigure-san is still down with flu. So where is he now?"

Yuki shrugged. "Frankly, I don't care. But let's get the woman in anyway."

"She knows already."

A diabolical smile formed on the man's lips. "Good."

Shigure looked down at the floor. "I hope you don't do away with her. She's cheering Yuki and Kyo up."

"Yuki?" The name slid from the man's lips savoringly.

"What should I do now, Akito?"

"Nothing…for now."

__

The fun begins…

****

tsuzuku

__


	12. Fairy Tales

****

Chapter 12: Fairy Tales

"Shigure-san, I'm glad you're here!" cried Tohru as she ran to meet the novelist who just entered the doorway. She took his cap and coat for him.. "Someone's waiting for you inside."

Shigure sighed. "And I thought that the only problem I had to deal with is a cat-cow crossbreeding, I mean crossfire. Geez!" He stopped when he saw his editor, Mit-chan sniffing delicately on the linen cloth on the table.

Sensing him, she looked up. "Shigure! Thank heavens you're here! The manuscripts…I need the last seventy pages."

He picked up a crumpled cloth between his point finger and his thumb, groaning. "Man! I was saving these for my origami!"

"Shigure, have mercy! Have compassion! Give me your work, **now**!" pleaded the editor as she watched the novelist flick the paper to the trashcan.

"I could have made a lovely origami dog and gave it to Tohru-kun!" he cried melodramatically.

"Shigure! Shigure, look at me! You're not even listening to me!" cried the woman.

"Uh, Shigure-san, I think our visitor is trying to talk to you," said Tohru.

He blinked. "Really?" He then pretended to notice his editor just now. "Gee, my beautiful and energetic Mit-chan! What sort of ungodly misfortune brought you here?"

"Shigure, _please_! I need the pages…the pages…"

Yuki entered the living room and sat down beside Tohru. "Honda-san, you shouldn't be in the same space with them. One of them is bound to act really violent soon, and it isn't Shigure."

"I lost it," said the writer simply.

"**What?!!**" Mit-chan was shaken. "Then rewrite it!"

"I can't. I'm down with flu. If you don't believe me, then here's a medical certificate duly signed by the family physician."

But the woman shoved it aside. "Please, Sohma-san! Do _something_! Give me a _miracle_! I want something to publish, for pete's sake!"

Tohru raised her hand. "Would you like to publish our school play?"

Everyone sweatdropped. "H-Huh?"

Tohru's cheeks flushed. "I-I mean, it's really nice…"

"Yes, but those are not the kinds of material we are looking for," said the editor slowly.

Yuki quickly came to Tohru's rescue. "But the school can commission you to publish one anyway, and have it distributed not only in our school, but also in different high schools all over Japan. Not bad for a decent circulation, right?"

"Yes, but….is it any good?"

Tohru choked. It was her teacher, Mayu-sensei who was going to direct the play, but she had wanted to suggest this plot to her. She found herself bursting out her idea to the editor. "Snow White-"

The woman rolled her eyes.

"-and the Twelve Juunishis," finished Tohru nervously.

That got Mit-chan's attention. "Huh? I'm intrigued. Tell me more about the plot."

"W-Well, it's about a successful emperor who had conquered many kingdoms in China, but whose happiness was not complete without a son. He sired a child in a Chinese nymph. However, the baby turned out to be a girl, which was an omen to their kingdom. The emperor ordered the slaughter of the child, but her mother loved the child too much. She sneaked the baby out of the kingdom and gave her to the Juunishi guardians, a group of social animal outcasts," narrated Tohru.

"The Juunishis called the baby Snow White for her skin's fair complexion, and she became the apple of the eye of the group," caught Yuki. "The rat especially loved the little princess very much, even if she was human and he was an animal. He played with her, taught her, and shared her joys and tears…"

"So these Juunishis can talk," said Mit-chan. "Continue please."

"One day," continued Tohru. "The little princess Snow White has gone too far away from her guardians. Just then, a group of wild animals attacked her."

"Fortunately, a young lad her age appeared like a knight by her side and defended her. Just as she was going to thank him, he disappeared," said Yuki quietly.

Although stunned by what he said, Tohru continued the narration nonetheless. "That boy was her first love. From then on, she never stopped dreaming of seeing him again." She paused a bit, then continued. "Soon, she was already 17. It was time for her to be re-introduced to the outside world."

"Although her guardians were reluctant to let her go, they still did as they know that it would be best for her. They were sure that the emperor wouldn't recognize her anymore anyway," added Yuki.

"But the emperor did notice her, as she was working as one of the maids in the palace. He asked her to be his wife, but she flatly refused for her heart was reserved for her first love only. Because of this, the emperor was enraged and condemned her to die," continued Tohru. "The poor princess was placed in a very beautiful coffin that was surrounded with flowers. This was the only way the Juunishis could preserve her memory. They all mourned for her death."

"But then, the rat, weeping, transforms into a full-grown young man. **The prince knelt down by the princess' side and kissed her back to life**. No ordinary kiss could wake the princess up, for that was how strong the seal of the mighty emperor was, but because it was the kiss of the princess' true love, she was awakened. It was then understood that the rat and the young boy – who was now a princely young man – were one identity only, and that true love enabled the rat to transform into human," said Yuki.

"And so with that, the prince carried her in his arms and hugged her, then carried her away in his horse to a bush somewhere where he could make mad passionate love with her," said Shigure cheerfully. 

Yuki stared at him lethally. "Shut up!"

"The nymph then heard about Princess Snow White and came down from the heavens to fetch her and the Prince. Together they lived in heaven, and they lived happily ever after. The end!" finished Tohru breathlessly. "Well?"

Mit-chan was speechless.

"Did you like it?" asked Yuki.

The woman smiled. "Alright, we can get that published, but I have to have that on my desk by tomorrow."

"No problem," said Shigure, wrapping an arm around Tohru's shoulder. "I can handle it."

"Suddenly you're not sick," grumbled his cousin, pushing Shigure's arm off the girl's shoulders.

"Hey, if it's for Tohru-kun…not even wild horses can keep me away!"

"Shigure-san, thank you!"

"You know you can actually work if you want to," noted Mit-chan dryly. "Influenza can't really keep you down."

"I believe that's called selective illness," Yuki remarked wryly.

"Thank the stars she's gone!" sighed Shigure as he headed towards his room. "I better go start writing the Juunishi story already." He winked at Tohru. "By the way, you've got some pretty good imagination, Tohru-kun. I know you made up the details of the story just now."

She glanced at Yuki who was outside the house, enjoying the breeze. "Yuki-kun helped me a lot in brainstorming too." _Our stories were so synchronized…and the part about the young boy who saved the princess…it was like magic. As if it really happened between us!_

"Well, I'll see you later, Tohru-kun." He started towards his room.

"Uh, Shigure-san, do you still remember the details? The story was quite long-"

Shigure zoomed towards her and clasped her hand. "Well, how about if you help me recall the details? Let's sit together in my room now and-"

A fist slammed on Shigure's head. Yuki pulled Tohru away from his cousin. "Pedophile."

"Damn, your radar…how did you hear us when you're outside? Geez! I'm telling your brother!" 

"Y-You have a brother, Yuki-kun?"

"Ignore him, Honda-san. Ignore him," muttered Yuki.

That afternoon, Tohru was treating the bruises of Haru and Kyo. Yuki was helping her, somewhat grudgingly.

"You had a really rough fight, huh?" said Tohru, plastering a bandage on Kyo's bleeding nose.

"I was just about to pulverize him if you had not intervened, you know," said the neko haughtily.

"Careful with your face, princess," said Yuki sarcastically. "Unless you want to make Snow White appear like a gangster in the play."

"Don't remind me!" snapped Kyo. "Why didn't you become the princess instead, girly boy?"

"Is the idea of name lottery too advanced a concept for your demented mind, baka neko?" Yuki shot back.

"I can't wait for the play!" gushed Tohru. "I would love to watch you guys on the stage!"

"Aren't you going to perform too, Honda-san?" asked Haru in his gentle voice,'

"I don't think so. Maybe as an understudy or something, but I can't play a role! I get stage fright!"

"Conquering fears like that is fun," said Haru. "As simple as ABC." He winced a little when Tohru placed too much alcohol on the swab of cotton brushing his skin.

"I-I'm sorry!" She took her hanky out to wipe his cheek.

Kyo had a funny look on his face. "Tohru, I think my jaw hurts a little too."

"Coming!" Tohru finished wiping Haru's face then turned to him smilingly. "OK, let's have it!"

Yuki stepped in front of Tohru. "I'll handle the two of them. You go and start our dinner, Honda-san."

"Uh, right!"

Kyo was outraged. "Hey!"

Yuki grabbed the neko's jaw forcefully and dragged the cotton to his jaw. "You'll get the same alcohol treatment whether it's Honda-san or me who'll give it. Now stay still."

"Hey, let go! It doesn't hurt anymore!"

"Nonsense! You were wailing awhile ago."

"That was awhile ago. Now I feel perfectly fine. Stop! The alcohol stings!" yelled the neko.

"Why, my brother nursing his cousin lovingly. And I thought I saw everything already," a voice remarked.

Tohru saw Yuki stiffen. She turned and saw a tall silver-haired man dressed in tight-fitting Chinese over-alls. But what really struck her was how much he reminded her of one person…

Her eyes widened. It was a mature version of Yuki!

****

tsuzuku

notes: I have underlined a line in the fic…my reason? It's the carrier quote of my Yukiru site. **Lol** Just to let ya know!


	13. Gaps

****

Chapter 13: Gaps

__

An unusually somber Ayame? Some angst? The chapter has it all for you!

* * *

"Ayame…san?" stammered Tohru as she looked at the mysterious older version of Yuki who was looking at them -at Yuki in particular- with an unreadable goofy smile on his face.

"What are you doing here?" asked Yuki through gritted teeth, refusing to even glance at the man's way.

In one swift movement, Ayame was standing before them, arms outstretched towards the _nezumi_. "Is that how you should greet your long-lost elder brother?"

"E-Elder brother?" echoed Tohru as she recalled Shigure's words.

__

"I'll tell your brother!"

His blazing purple eyes pierced Ayame. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see you..to check on you, my little bro." He drew nearer towards Yuki, and the latter stepped back not-so-subtly. "Do not fear. Your big brother's arms shall wrap around your longing soul, and everything shall be alright-"

"Don't take a step near me or I'll call the cops!" threatened Yuki.

But his brother didn't listen. "Yuki, dear Yuki, past is past! What is important is the future, and we should start the future now-" He slipped on the long trail of his crimson mandarin-style outfit and fell on Tohru.

__

Poof!

Yuki's eyes widened.

A snake was lying on top of Tohru's chest, and the girl looked ready to pass out anytime.

"P-Please..g-get..it.off," she whispered tightly.

"Somebody get that creature off her!" wailed Kyo, but he was not making any move to go and take the snake off himself.

Yuki was frozen. "Honda-san, calm down," he tried, but she was on the verge of tears. _Maybe I should just go and grab the snake off her chest…it's not like I should put malice on something I may accidentally touch…I'll just be careful. Right, I'll do it._

Shigure emerged from the house. "Hi everyone! Anyone has seen Aya yet? He said he'd drop by here-" He stopped when he saw Tohru on the ground, and Yuki -his back facing him - bending down towards her, reaching for her chest. "Yuki-kun, what are you doing?!!" he wailed. "I didn't know you are the type to-"

Kyo's fist smacked down on his head. "Shut up, you perverted old man."

Yuki faced Shigure, purple eyes burning now. "Looking for your guy? Here he is. Take him now before I lose control of myself and skin him alive."

Shigure rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Aya, what happened?"

"Take him now, Shigure," said Haru. "If you still want to keep Ayame alive."

Tohru placed a blanket on the snake and sighed. "I'm sorry for freaking out, Ayame-san, but you see, you took me by surprise. I can stand snakes, really, but seeing one up close all of a sudden…"

Shigure patted her comfortingly. "Aya understands. The reason he came here other than to see Yuki was to see you."

"See me?" she echoed.

Yuki stirred from the corner.

"He has a lot of things to tell you, as well as a lot to know about you," continued the novelist. "He was very interested when he learned that we got his brother a personal attendant. You see, Ayame heard that his brother is very independent."

"You talk too much, Shigure," snapped Yuki.

"I also came here to announce that I'll be doing the wardrobes for your school play!" announced snake Ayame brightly.

"What?!" Yuki choked. "You can't do that!"

"Why not? My skills in dressmaking is remarkable, or so my customers say," said the snake.

Yuki didn't bother to ask what kind of people his brother's _customers _were. "But you just can't barge into our lives and mess with them!"

Tohru covered her mouth to stifle a gasp, but Yuki heard it. He looked down, humiliated. "I'm sorry, Honda-san."

__

For what?

Shigure shrugged. "Call me when it's dinner time, Tohru-kun. I can't stand family pow-wows." He started to go to his own room. "See ya later, Aya. I'll just finish the script for the school play."

"Later," echoed the snake brightly. It turned to its brother once again. "So Yuki, I heard you are going to play the prince. That's a good role!"

"I don't think I asked for your opinion," said the younger Sohma coolly.

"Yeah. I popularized the word _unsolicited_. Part of the job description of a big brother!"

Tohru was stunned. _How can Ayame-san endure Yuki-kun's indifference without feeling hurt? And why is Yuki-kun treating him that way? They're siblings, right?_

Yuki stared at the snake darkly. "Why are you bothering to pretend being a big brother to me now? It's too late. I don't need one anymore."

She looked at Ayame in bewilderment. _What is Yuki-kun talking about?_ She then stole a look at Yuki's face. _Hatred. Yuki-kun's gentle face…never in my life have I ever imagined that he is capable of such emotion. His face is meant only for gentle smiles…this can't be real._

"I'm making it up to you now…if you will only let me," said the snake sadly. "God knows how much I've regretted what I did. Your memory haunts me day and night."

Tohru could feel her heart break with the sincere sorrow in his voice. _Yuki-kun, listen to him. Listen to your big brother,_ she pleaded silently.

But all she saw was a look of pure ice on his face. "Serves you right," he said in quiet fury.

Yuki was long gone in the room, but Tohru was still shocked.

__

It couldn't have happened. Yuki-kun could have never uttered such cruel words.

She didn't notice that a sob has escaped her throat already.

"Please don't cry," begged a voice beside her.

She looked down. "Ayame-san!"

The snake slithered to her lap and looked up at her. "Don't. You can break any man's heart with your tears."

"B-But…I don't understand…why did Yuki-kun say such things to you? You're his brother!" she cried.

The snake looked down. "He has every right to do that. I was never a brother to him before. He's right. It's too late to try to mend things now."

"But you're the person closest to him in the world after your parents! Shigure-san could never take your place!" she burst out. "I don't know what happened between you two before, but I know it's not worth the hurt both of you are feeling now." A tear spilled from her eye. "It hurts to see Yuki-kun act like this…he's never like this. I know he's a very kind person, and he's just using terrible words to cover his sadness. I-I can't do anything to help him, even if he has helped me in so many ways already."

She felt a hand caress her cheek. She gasped when she saw that the snake has transformed back into human already. 

"You are very kind too, Honda Tohru-san. I would like to say that even if I have met you only just now…"His eyes softened. "I can feel that I can trust you. Because I can feel your genuine concern for other people, especially for my brother. I thank you for that."

"Ayame-san…"

"I now feel at ease to tell you my story," he continued.

But before Ayame could start narrating, the door opened. "Oi, Tohru, when are you going to start making din-"Kyo's eyes bulged when he saw Yuki's brother sitting beside Tohru on the bed, the former stark naked.

Tohru freaked out. "I-It's not what you think it is, Kyo-kun! Neko-san! "

Kyo took only a split second to appear beside Ayame and beat the living daylights out if him.

"I was just about to get dressed when you appeared, you know," said Ayame, rubbing his head that Tohru bandaged awhile ago. 

"Yeah right," muttered Kyo as he drank his milk.

"How dare you do that to Tohru-kun!" said Shigure playfully, waving his chopstick at Ayame. "Why, your brother hate you already for who you are!"

Yuki's chopsticks broke into two. "Shut up, Shigure," he said quietly.

Haru sneaked a glance at his beloved cousin before looking down at his meal thoughtfully.

"We were just talking," said Tohru soothingly. "Yuki-kun, is the seasoning just right?"

He refused to glance at her way. "Hai."

"I-I'm glad," she said awkwardly. First, it was Kyo who was avoiding her. Now Yuki?

"I'll start making the designs for your costume tonight, Yuki-kun," said Ayame brightly, as if there was no air of tension surrounding the room. "I have a rough sketch of how I would visualize you as a dashing prince. Would you like to see my sketch tonight?"

"No," said Yuki curtly. 

"But why?" pressed his brother.

"Why should I explain myself to you? Who are you anyway?" asked the young Sohma. He stood up. "Excuse me. I am quite full." He got up and was about to leave the room when Tohru spoke up.

"Ayame-san told me that this dish is your favorite," she said quietly. "I made a lot because I thought you would like it. What a shame. It has to go to the trash can now."

Yuki was silenced, but he continued to his room anyway.

Ayame reached out and touched Tohru's hand. "Do not bother to intervene, Tohru. Thank you for your concern, but I don't think he would change overnight."

"Give him some time," said Shigure, apparently not affected by what just happened. This was obvious by how he gamely took bites after bites of the fish. "He's just…confused."

"Come," said Ayame. "I'll just tell you about my high school days with 'gure and 'tori, ok?"

She nodded.

Shigure grinned. "Oh boy, a trip down the memory lane! Brings back the memories of the time Aya was still the president of the student council…"

"President of the what?!" choked Kyo.

Ayame grinned. "Oh, how could I forget? That was the defining moment of my senior high school life!"

"Remember when we tried to organize a pageant but the administration shot it down?" asked Shigure.

"Why?" asked Tohru, wide-eyed.

"It was a male beauty pageant, and Aya is leading the show," said the novelist, exchanging high fives with Yuki's big brother.

Kyo's face was dark. "Oh…my…god…"

"And I was even asking 'tori to do a special dance number, but he just won't do it!" said Aya, face all flushed.

"I won't ask anymore what that _special dance number is_," said Kyo, hand on his aching temple. "I might just puke."

"But I practiced a number I wanted to present, and 'gure gave me the back-up sounds," said Ayame.

Tohru was all starry-eyed. "Wow, what was it?"

"A tribal dance," said Shigure, winking. "A dance of courtship."

"That's it!" Kyo was on his way to the bathroom, holding on to his throat.

Yuki looked down at his garden, eyes shaking.

No, he could never forget the sadness in Tohru's voice. She wasn't looking at him, and he wasn't looking at her, but her voice was enough to tell him that he hurt her.

"So there you are!" Haru sat down beside him. "I thought you were in your room already."

"I tried to sleep," said Yuki quietly. "But I can't."

"That's because you're guilty," said his cousin knowingly.

"I hurt her, I know, because I could feel the pain too," he confessed. "But I can't take back everything that I've said and done, as much as I want to."

"You're right, but you can try to patch things up," said Haru.

"Patch things up?"

"Just like what your brother is doing."

"Please don't mention his name here."

"But I have to. I just want you to see that everyone makes mistakes, even you. You hurt Honda-san, and you acknowledge it. The same way with your brother. He knows he hurt you, and he acknowledges it. He knows he can't take back the rejection he gave you before, so he's trying to make it up to you now. That is what you're going to do with Honda-san now. You must apologize to her before things get as serious as the gap between you and your brother," explained Haru.

Yuki nodded. "What you say..makes perfect sense. But it's so hard to smile at the same person who treated me like dirt when we were kids. I can't just welcome Ayame with open arms and balloons or party things."

"It's ok," said Haru, patting his shoulder. "Take your time. I'm sure you'll make Honda-san very happy if you try to open up to your brother."

"Honda-san…?" He smiled sadly. "I hurt her badly…I hope it's not too late."

"You know her more than I do, but I can say that she's the type to forgive seventy times seven times, and more."

"Then if it will make Honda-san happy…"

Tohru was brushing her hair and was just getting ready to sleep when she heard a sound of faint flute music from outside her room. She sleepily opened her windows and saw Yuki standing outside her window, looking up at her. "Honda-san? I'm sorry if I woke you up."

Her eyes widened. "Yuki-kun! I'm coming down!"

"No, I'm coming up." He effortlessly heaved himself up to her windows with the help of a tree by her bedroom window. He jumped into her window, smiling. "Good evening, Honda-san. I'm sorry to intrude at this time of the night, but you see, I cannot sleep in peace thinking that you are mad at me."

"B-But I'm not!" she stammered. "What gave you the idea I am?" She could feel her face turn red. Ah, a prince who entered her room through her window! Never in her wildest dreams did she think it would be possible.

"I was a jerk awhile ago. I'm sorry." He placed his flute on the table. 

"No, it must be me who should apologize. I didn't know about your history with Ayame-san. He told me now, and I do understand now."

"You..do not hate me, Honda-san?" he asked cautiously. "Because of my rough attitude awhile ago?"

She shook her head. "No, I understand."

"I'm glad."

"But I hope…"She looked away, eyes uncertain. "…that you will give each other a chance to meet halfway. He is your one and only brother, and I don't think you'll have another one in your lifetime. Love him until he's still here…because tomorrow, you may regret not doing so while he was still here yesterday…"

__

Mother…

She gasped when she felt his palm caress his cheek, but his touch didn't comfort him the way Ayame's hand did. His touch woke her heart up, sending romantic electric shivers up and down her spine.

"I will do my best," he promised quietly. "And I promise never to hurt you again. I will never make you cry again, Honda-san."

"C-Cry? H-How.."

"The _baka neko _told Haru, and he told me." He smiled. "My sweet Honda-san, how did I ever live my sixteen years without feeling your kindness? I'm afraid I've gotten so accustomed to it that if ever the time comes for you to leave…" His words trailed off.

__

..I will die of a broken heart.

Tohru's heart was racing. "Yuki-kun…"

"Love is in the air…" a familiar voice sang softly.

Yuki stiffened. 

Ayame appeared from the window, breeze blowing on his long silver hair. "When I heard the flute sound outside Tohru's window, I knew I could smell romance. Ha ha!"

Yuki was aghast. "W-What the..what the hell are you doing here?"

Tohru was shocked too. "Ayame-san!"

Ayame swung into the room, laughing delightedly. "Yuki, the Ice Prince, has melted with the warmth of Tohru-kun's tender loving care!"

"Shut up!" snapped Yuki, face burning.

Kyo burst from the window, eyes blazing. "You gay! How dare you try to pick the locks of my room and escape-" His forehead creased when he saw Yuki in Tohru's room. "Okaaay, what's this, a reunion? Why in _her_ room?"

"She's a special girl," said Shigure, emerging from the door. "You wouldn't understand that, of course, basing on your remarkable social skills with females."

Kyo glared at the novelist. "Damn dog!"

Haru, yawning, walked into the room. "Will you just give poor Honda-san some peace? It's half an hour before midnight, for pete's sake!" 

Tohru sighed as everyone in the room started talking all at once. She sneaked a look at Yuki, and was relieved to see that his face was displaying that usual exasperated look on his face again.

__

Hatred…I don't ever want to see that look again on your face, Yuki-kun. Where did you learn to feel that way anyway?

A bird landed on the mat, unmoving.

"Dead…unbreathing little thing."

Hatori knocked on the door before entering. "It's freezing out there. Come in where it's warm."

"The birds can stand the deathly chill." A malevolent smile crossed Akito's face. "I remember how I once made Yuki bury a bird in the garden. It was still moving, but breathing in deadly gasps, but I had it declared dead, so he had to bury it anyway. I can never forget that look on his face."

The doctor was silent.

"He had to learn how not to feel mercy…compassion…pity. Or else he wouldn't have accomplished the task." Akito looked at the doctor, "I want to see him again."

"There's an upcoming school play next week," said the doctor, voice emotionless. "Yuki will play the lead."

"I…can't wait…"

****

tsuzuku 


	14. Of Truce and Rivalry

****

Chapter 14: Of Truce and Rivalry

__

A little Kyoru moment..lol. Just to amuse my sister who loves Kyo to pieces.

* * *

Yuki knelt down and clasped Kyo's limp hand to his chest. "Please wake up. Open your eyes, my love."

The neko didn't stir.

"Don't…leave me." With that, Yuki bent down to kiss him.

Kyo opened his eyes and jumped up from the bed. "This_is__stupid_!"

Yuki got up, an annoyed look on his face. "Shigure, those mushy lines…you wrote that on purpose, didn't you?"

The novelist couldn't stop laughing long enough to answer his question. Tohru, on the other hand, wiped a tear from her eye.

"It's so…touching. The prince and princess' love is so steadfast!" she whispered.

"Hey, it's only a school play. No need to get this emotional!" groaned Kyo.

Yuki glanced at his watch. "Twelve more minutes before the bell. Let's go."

"What gave you the right to give orders around here?" yelled the neko, pissed. "I'll go to school _when I want to_!"

The nezumi crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Well, surely the school won't wait for a superlative degree idiot like you."

"God, you're so self-righteous and bossy that you make me sick-" Kyo's words were cut off when Tohru suddenly hugged him. He instantly poofed into a cat.

"What the-" It was then Tohru's turn to change into a rat.

"That should stop the bickering!" said Tohru.

"Way to go, Tohru-kun!" cheered Shigure.

"Please stop fighting, you two," she pleaded. "If we want Shigure-san and the others' efforts not to go to vain, then declare a truce between you so we won't have a hard time in the rehearsals."

"A truce?!" screamed the feline. "**Never**!!!"

"Honda-san, if we could have managed a truce or something then our differences wouldn't have escalated into this," said the mouse quietly.

"Then I'll give you two something to inspire a truce," said a voice from behind.

Tohru then felt an arm lay on her shoulders. The animals before her hissed in anger.

Ayame looked at his brother and Kyo, then at Tohru. "My beautiful kidnapped princess, if your two suitors won't make peace then I'll take you away with me to a place they would never find and never return you to them!"

Everyone gasped.

"Aya, you can't be serious! You can't take the light of our home away!" cried Shigure.

Yuki glared at his brother. "Don't you dare lay a finger on Honda-san!"

Kyo was outraged. "Suitors? What do you mean _suitors_?"

Haru came into the room. "G'morning! What's for breakfast?"

Tohru looked nervous. "Ah, you guys! The food would turn cold if we don't eat now."

Ayame smiled smugly. "So either you two act nice towards each other, or I'll take your flower home."

"I want a steaming bowl of _ramen_," said the cow, sitting on the floor.

The neko groaned. "Look, I don't give a damn about what you're saying, you gay! Just please take note that I'm _not_ her suitor!"

Ayame laughed. "Kon kichi, you really _are_ in love with the _hime_!"

The feline was glaring lethally at the man already. "I'll scratch your eyeballs out!"

"Balls? Did I hear balls here?" asked Shigure.

Yuki sighed. "Suddenly, I feel lost in my own house."

Kyo went ballistic. "I'm _not!_ I'm _not_!"

"Geez, no need to sound so defensive," jeered Haru as Tohru handed him a bowl of steaming hot noodles.

The cat's fur raised. "Are you saying that I'm lying?"

"In not so many words," said Haru, putting his bowl down. "Honda-san, will you come here for a moment please?"

"Ah sure!" She appeared by his side. She nearly jumped when Haru stood up and tipped her chin up to him. He then leaned down to kiss her.

"Stop it!!" yelled Yuki and Kyo at the same time just as they transformed into humans.

Haru paused, his lips just a few inches away from Tohru's. Instead, he kissed her forehead. "Thank you for helping me with my demonstration, Honda-san."

Her face was crimson red. "Ah…!"

Shigure chuckled. "Haru, you should have told me about your idea, then I could have gladly given my cooperation to you!"

Ayame grinned. "Cheating right in front of me, 'Gure?"

Shigure laughed. "Oh, admit it. You like to do the demo yourself too!"

"Stop making fun of her!" yelled Kyo and Yuki at the same time.

"See?" said Ayame. "You two can actually synchronize with each other since you have a common denominator." He glanced at Tohru, who was obliviously picking up the boys' clothes.

Haru took the clothes from Tohru. "I'll give it to them."

"Thank you, Ha-kun!"

As the two got dressed, Tohru cheerfully asked them to go to school with her. "Or else, we'll be late!" she finished.

"Right!" agreed the two, then froze.

"Stop being a copycat!" snapped Kyo.

"You're the _real_ copycat, stupid cat!" retorted Yuki. "Why should I imitate someone like you?"

"Why you-"

Ayame waved his finger. "Uh, uh, uh! No fighting, boys! Or else…"

The two shut up immediately.

"OK, as long as you get out of my way, we'll get along fine," grumbled Kyo.

"Same here," said Yuki, face bored.

They looked ahead at Tohru who was talking with Uo and Hana.

"You'll do anything for her, won't you?" remarked the neko, voice unusually quiet.

"And you will too, right?" replied the mouse. "Or else, you wouldn't have agreed to this ridiculous truce."

Silence.

"I can't help it. She's so kind that letting her down would make me feel so evil," admitted Kyo, oblivious to the fact that it was the first time that he opened up to anyone, let alone to his nemesis.

"She's truly special," agreed Yuki.

"And the play is so important to her so.." His voice trailed off. "…I'll do my best, even if it kills me to wear a girly costume or to be nice to you." With that, he ran ahead of them, jumping up and down the roofs of the houses.

Yuki vaguely heard Uo commenting on how cat-like Kyo's movements were, and Tohru's uneasy laughter. But he was still stunned by something he realized with his cousin's words.

"We may be as different as day and night, but we both care for the same girl, and that is enough for us to set aside our differences and act civilized towards each other, if only to make her happy."

Kyo looked back at Yuki, then at Tohru.

Cheerful, sweet, naïve Tohru.

No matter how hard he tried to avoid making contacts with her, he still found himself thinking of her constantly and more and more each day.

Shigure telling him that his animal sign was her favorite Juunishi animal sign didn't help bury his feelings.

And to think that just a few weeks ago, all that was in his mind was to defeat damn Yuki in a combat!

But now…

…suddenly fights and battles didn't seem as important as going home to find Tohru's dishes on the table, and Tohru's mark of neatness and organization in the whole house.

Yet there was still one fight left that he had to settle with Yuki once and for all. It would be very hard, since he knew that Yuki had set his own heart into it too.

A fight for Tohru's love.

Ayame put his sketchpad down and looked at Hatori. "So why are you telling me all of this now, 'Tori?"

The doctor lit a cigarette. "I know you are worried about Yuki, and I feel that it is only right for you to be warned about Akito's visit on the day of the school play."

Ayame's grip on his pencil tightened. "What should I do? I want to help him, but he won't let me. Do you think I should warn him about it? But what if it only disheartens him and make him lose his enthusiasm in the play?"

Shigure came into the room, bringing a tray of tea. "Talk to Tohru-kun. She _always_ knows what to do."

Hatori blew a smoke. "Akito wants to meet Honda Tohru himself."

"That's what I'm afraid of," said the novelist.

Ayame sighed. "I hope he wouldn't hurt her in any way. I'm afraid it would devastate my brother, and he might never recover from that again."

"OK, three, two, one…ACTION!" yelled Mayu-sensei.

Kyo collapsed on the floor as several students surrounded him. "Please don't hurt me!" he lip-synched as a phony high-pitched voice floated in the auditorium.

Giggles echoed in the stage.

Just then, Yuki arrived in the scene, holding out his rolled script. He charged towards the students and did a choreographed fight scene. As swooning fangirls watched in adoration, Yuki triumphantly warded the "animals" away from the "princess".

The "prince" turned to Kyo, knelt down by his side and spoke gently, "It's ok. They're gone."

Kyo stared at his cousin blankly.

"Who are you," hissed Yuki.

__

Oh yeah! "Who are you?" asked the princess.

"It doesn't matter." Yuki gently helped him up and caressed his cheek with the back of his palm. "Take care, Princess," he murmured huskily.

Several girls were close to fainting. "Yuki-sama!!! Eeeeeeh!!!"

Kyo, eyes narrowed, mechanically laid his head on his cousin's shoulder. "When will I see you again?"

Yuki stared at him tenderly, then bent down to kiss his hand, and then left. 

"Cut!" Mayu-sensei clapped enthusiastically. "That was _beautiful_!"

"That was _freaky_!" yelled Kyo.

Yuki rubbed his skin with a sanitizer. "No kidding."

Uo messed Kyo's hair. "Moving performance, princess! And that was just the rehearsal! What more in the real thing?"

"Shut up, Yankee!"

"B-But you were really great, Kyo-kun!" said Tohru.

"Don't rub it in my face!" he barked.

She winced, but she was determined not to be frightened. "It was really great, Kyo-kun. Y-You…must not feel shy with your role because…because as long as you give it your all in whatever role you play, the audience will love you!"

Shocked silence.

The neko broke into a smile. "You…really think so?"

Uo laughed. "Yeah, Tohru's right." Several students nodded in agreement.

A girl patted Kyo's shoulder. "You were cool, Kyo! It's nice to see you act femininely for a change!"

"Yeah, change is the spice of life!" Another boy agreed.

Hana nodded solemnly. "You were impressive back there, and you should be, for this is Tohru's brainstorm. If any of you dare to mess up the play, I'll…"

Everyone retreated away from Hanajima uneasily.

Tohru smiled. _Mother, at last, Kyo-kun smiled at me again. He is not mad at me anymore, and it brings me such overwhelming relief. My favorite Juunishi animal and I are friends again._

She then remembered Yuki. She turned to him to congratulate him too, but he wasn't there anymore.

__

Yuki-kun?

"Damn, why…why am I feeling this way?" Yuki asked himself as he leaned on the wall. _Is it because Tohru acts much more in ease with Kyo? Or that his animal sign is her favorite Juunishi animal?_

He shut his eyes. 

__

I don't want to know anymore, or I might just hurt myself.

Kyo caught Tohru's worried eyes scanning the crowd. Immediately he knew whom the girl was looking for.

__

Damn that mouse! Why does everything goes so easily for him? He's got beauty, brains, respect, and deadly martial arts skills…

…and now….

…even Tohru?

Please don't make me lose this one out to him. He always wins, so can't he give just this one prize to me?

This is the first time I felt something so strong for a girl. I have never felt this even with Kagura. Please, dear Lord, let me win just this once.

Kyo shut his eyes tight.

__

I'm jealous. Insanely jealous, but I don't want to know why anymore, or I might just hurt myself.

****

Tsuzuku 


	15. Purple Infinity

****

Chapter 15: Purple Infinity

__

And we're back to the Yukiru business folks! A generally worthless chapter, but pls. Do bear with my writer's block. ^^;;

* * *

"So you dare defy me, fair maiden?" growled the "emperor" as he grasped Kyo roughly and attempted to kiss her. 

"Nyaaah!!!" Kyo seemed to have forgotten that it was all a play so he did a judo throw on the emperor, and the poor student crashed on the makeshift wall behind them.

"Omigod!" Tohru was one of the first people to attend to the wailing student.

Haru laughed. "Wow, you are the contemporary Snow White the feminists will love!"

The neko's face turned crimson. "I-I didn't mean to-"

Mayu-sensei groaned. "Sohma Kyo, please, next time exercise restraint." She turned to the student. "Can you still move?"

"Sensei, every part of my body hurts!" whined the boy.

Haru raised his hand. "If you shall allow me, then I can take his role as the evil emperor."

Kyo frowned. "_You_?! Surely you jest! You're not even a student here!"

"But we have no choice," said the teacher. She placed her hands on Haru's shoulders. "Son, you are a savior to all of us. How can we ever thank you?"

The cow smiled. "No problem, Sensei."

Tohru helped the boy up. "I think I'll take him to the clinic now."

"Good idea!" The teacher clapped her hands briskly. "The rest of you, back to work! We shall now acquaint our new actor with his role."

Tohru and the boy passed by Kyo's side. She was stunned when she heard a small whisper to her ear.

"Tell him I'm sorry."

Tohru smiled to herself then at her injured classmate. "Kyo-kun apologizes."

The boy smirked. "Yeah right, and I'm Pikachu."

__

No one really knows how deep inside, Kyo-kun is a really nice guy. They say he's like a black sheep, but he's really as meek as any white sheep.

Just as Tohru emerged from the clinic, Yuki rushed towards her worriedly. "Honda-san, they told me you went to the clinic. What happened?"

"Ah, one of the actors in the play ran into a little accident so I helped him to the clinic." She clapped her hands in delight. "And guess what, Haru-kun is going to join the play as the emperor!"

"Uh-oh," muttered the rat. _That doesn't sound good._

He gasped when he felt Tohru's hand on his wrist. She was holding his right wrist, looking at his watch. "Oops, time for my part-time job." 

She was about to let go when he grabbed her wrist gently. Her eyes widened when she suddenly saw herself face-to-face with him. "Yuki-kun!"

"Honda-san, do not abuse your health, please," he said in a soft voice, so feathery that it tickled her heart. "You will make all of us worry when something happens to you."

"Ah, Yuki-kun, I know my limitations. I will not do anything that would make you guys worry." She beamed. "Besides, I want to be there with the audience and watch you guys perform. I'm sure you'll break a lot of hearts with your acting as a prince!"

Yuki blushed. "Y-You'll watch, Honda-san?"

"Yes! I will support you and Kyo-kun!" Her eyes went starry-eyed. 

He paused then chuckled. "I'll do my best to act decently, Honda-san, now that I know you're watching."

"Prince Yukiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!!!!!!!!"

Startled, he let go of her hand and bowed. "I'll see you later, Honda-san," he said, voice formally cold. He slid his hands into his pockets and walked away.

__

Royalty…the respect people with royal blood get has a price to pay. Because you'll be owned by the people who give you that.

Tohru wtached her friend get flocked by the members of his fan club. He wore a polite smile on his face as he humored them, but she could feel that what he really wanted to do there and then was to flee.

__

But you can't, because you are too nice to hurt the feelings of the people who adore you.

She was startled when Yuki gave her one last glance and a brief smile before he returned to the auditorium, his fans following him.

__

Yuki-kun…should I pity you or admire you?

"Hah! Done!" Tohru announced cheerfully as she finished cleaning the last room. Picking up her pail of dirty water and rag, she walked towards the elevator.

__

I wonder what dish shall I make for them tonight? I'm sure they're pretty worn-out by now, because of the play.

All of a sudden, the elevator opened, and out came a running boy with blond hair. Tohru jumped out of his way, but in the process, got wet with the dirty water on her pail.

"Huh?" The boy returned to her. "Hey, why are you taking a bath here?"

"Ah…!" She was speechless.

Suddenly the boy burst out laughing and started to speak foreign phrases she couldn't decipher.

Finally, he took her hands, clasped them with his, and kissed them!

Tohru panicked. "W-Wait! W-What are you doing?"  
The boy's eyes were twinkling. "Do you work here?"

"Ah, yes!"

"And where do you live? Do you live with animals?" he asked.

"W-What?!!" Tohru withdrew her hands. "I-I gotta go!" She tried to make a run for the elevator, but instead slipped and fell on the floor, making the boy laugh harder.

He knelt down beside her. "You're entertaining! And you're so cute! I like you very much!"

She felt her cheeks flame. _His words…they were uttered so innocently. And I don't know how I should react! He's only a child!_

"What's your name?" he asked.

"M-My name is Honda Tohru," she stammered.

"I knew it!" The boy clapped delightedly. "Ah, I'm-"

"Young master!" A uniformed girl came down from the stairs, and was shocked to see the two of them sprawled on the wet floor.

The boy got up. "We'll see each other again, Tohru!" He bent and kissed her cheek then waved. "Bai bai!"

She touched her cheek that just got kissed seconds ago.

__

Who is he?

"Tohru-chan! Tohru-chan!" Her co-worker skipped towards her. "You wouldn't believe it! There's a prince standing outside the building, and it looks like he's waiting for someone!" The girl shivered delightedly. "Oh god, what if he's waiting for _me_?"

Tohru shrugged. "Must be our boss' visitor." She continued drying her hair.

"Oh good Lord, he's coming this way!!!" The girl was positively hysterical now.

She had no choice but to look up. Her jaw nearly dropped when she saw who it was.

"Good evening, Honda-san," greeted Yuki, a smile on his face.

"You shouldn't have bothered picking me up," said Tohru shyly as she hugged herself. The night was a little chilly, and her wet uniform didn't help a bit.

"How many times would I have to tell you that you are never a bother, Honda-san?" he said, voice laced with amusement. "Oh, and what happened to you anyway? Why is your uniform wet?"

She wanted to tell him about the incident but decided it was not worthy enough for her master's concern. "Long story," she said instead. "So how was practice?"

He shrugged. "It's ok. Both the baka neko and I managed to make it to the end of the rehearsal without fighting."

"That's great!" said Tohru. "I'm proud of you!"

"You have no idea how much that means to me," he replied quietly, looking away.

"Huh?" His words were too soft to hear.

"Nothing." He flashed her a grin. "In just four days, we'll be onstage."

"That's why you must give it your all!" she said. "Make the audience fall in love with you!"

"But it's not the audience that I want to fall in love with me," he said softly, suddenly gazing at her tenderly.

__

Ah! His eyes! They're sending my heart to a dizzying spin! "T-They're not?" she echoed.

He looked at the road. "Nope. There's someone else."

__

Someone…else?

He quickly shook his head. "Never mind." He took his jacket off. "Here, Honda-san. This will keep the chill off temporarily."

"T-Thanks…" Her fingertips touched his, and she swore she could feel electricity run up and down her body.

"You know what, Honda-san?"

"Hmm?"

He looked up at the round moon above them thoughtfully. "I would never have thought it was possible for a person like you to keep a secret as sensational as ours, and yet, here you are, doing that. Someone once told me that I should not trust anyone but myself. But…"

He looked at her once again. "You taught me otherwise. There _are_ still people who can be trusted. There are still people who can care unconditionally. There are still people who can show kindness without anything in exchange."

She shifted her gaze away uncomfortably. "It was my mother…who taught me to do that. She told me that I can lose anything I want in the world - even myself- but I must not lose kindness, or I will cease to live."

"Your mother must be very wise."

"Oh yes! She's so cool!" agreed Tohru.

"And…I think you're _cool_ too, Honda-san," he said.

Tohru's heart skipped a beat.

__

At that time, I could feel everything freeze in one sweet moment when his purple eyes were warm and open. When I could feel I could just drown in the purple infinity in his eyes.

"Honda-san…" His voice caressed her name.

It took all her strength not to faint. "H-Hai?"

"Thank you so much for coming into my…our lives," he said.

__

Oh my! She wanted to cry at that very moment. His words rang out with so much sincerity.

"And…" Yuki stopped when he heard something move in the bushes. He sighed, annoyed. "Get out of the bush, you father of fleas. You too, Big Brother."

"Oh man, the fun was just starting!" groaned Shigure, slipping out of his hiding.

"You've seen enough," snapped Yuki.

Ayame walked towards the blushing Tohru. "Ah, so my little brother is starting to make a move on you, eh? You're not a bad sister-in-law, you know."

"Shut up!" yelled Yuki.

"And I thought I was the only lecherous one here," said Shigure, grinning.

"You are not mistaken, Shigure," said Yuki, looking at his cousin darkly.

"W-What would you like to eat, everyone?" asked Tohru helplessly.

"Don't bother. We had Chinese food delivered here, since you were taking too much time getting home. Now I know why," the novelist said.

Suddenly, Ayame's cel rang. The man answered it promptly. "Hello? Oh, 'Tori! Why, you are the last person I would expect to hear from! Huh? Really? OK, we'll wait for you! Bye!"

"What was that?" asked Yuki, hoping to shift the attention away from him and Tohru.

"'Tori's coming here tonight with a guest. The guest wants to see Tohru," said Ayame, grinning like a cheshire cat.

"Somebody wants to meet me?" said Tohru, blushing.

Yuki frowned as Shigure looked concerned.

__

Please don't let it be him, prayed Yuki as he remembered the malevolent face of the clan head.

****

tsuzuku 

__


	16. The Dinner

****

Chapter 16: The Dinner

Kyo watched as Tohru prepared the ingredients for their special family dinner. She was all hyped up because it was their first time to have a visitor over who _wanted to see her_.

He nearly jumped when Tohru suddenly looked at him.

"Kyo-kun!" she cried happily. "Will you help me cook?"

"A-Ah!" What other explanation could he offer her? He couldn't tell her that he was secretly watching her because he finds her _fascinating_!

"Sure."

Soon they were putting the food on the frying pan. As the oil sizzled, Tohru began to fill the basin with soapy water to start washing the plates. "So, Kyo-kun, have you memorized your lines already?" she asked.

"Um, yeah. Sort of," he grumbled. Well at least he knew that he was supposed to say "Good morning" as his first line in the play. And he was supposed to be sweet to the rat of the play. And he was supposed to act exactly the opposite of his personality.

"Oh?" She stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "Hmm, I take it that you haven't memorized _all_ of your lines. The play is just days away."

He groaned. "Don't remind me."

"Tell you what, I'll _help_ you memorize your lines!" she said brightly.

He was shocked. "You?! But you can barely memorize the chemical formula of water!"

She blushed. "Well, I'm willing to learn to memorize so I can help you."

It was his turn to blush, but he quickly turned his back on her so he won't see his damn reaction. "What do you want in exchange?"

She laughed. "The best performance you can give in your whole life! I'll watch you do that!"

Kyo looked at the ceiling, at the door, at the frying pan - anywhere but at Tohru. Because if he looks at her, he was afraid that she might see how much she made him happy.

__

She's going to watch me.

Alright, if what it takes to make her happy is to slip on that stupid dress and act like a birdbrain on stage…

…then, hell, I'LL DO IT!!!

Yuki was trying to write a proposal letter to the administration about the student council project on the school play, but he couldn't concentrate. All he could picture in his mind was Tohru. And her mysterious visitor.

Sighing defeatedly, he placed his pad down and instead looked up at the ceiling. Who could that person who wanted to meet her?

He then remembered the time his playmates were hauled into Hatori's clinic. He then had no idea what was going to happen to them. But after that fateful day, he tried to talk to them again. All he got was bewildered looks…even fear.

__

Who are you?

We don't remember you anymore.

We don't know you.

Yuki's fists clenched.

__

Hatori, I won't let you touch Tohru.

Over my dead body.

I will not allow you to meddle with my newfound life. This is the only time I am really happy. I will not let you take her away from me.

He then heard the sound of vehicle engine.

__

He's here.

"'Tori!!!" Ayame was about to jump joyfully into the doctor's arms when the latter stepped left. Aya missed him, and crashed on the wall.

"Stop acting stupid," muttered Hatori.

"Hey, 'tori!" Shigure, perpetually dressed in his kimono, welcomed him to the living room. "Wow, you actually found time to visit lil ol me?"

"It's not you that we want to see," grumbled Hatori, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, no need to be shy with your feelings!" said Ayame, having recovered from his injury. "The minute I called you about me staying here in "gure's house, you _immediately_ wanted to come!"

"Hmp!" The doctor turned away and instead looked around the house searchingly.

"Who's with you anyway?" asked Ayame.

Hatori took his coat off. "The German hare."

"Where's he?" asked Shigure.

"Looking for Honda Tohru."

"There!" Tohru used the chopsticks to take the shrimp from the pan. "It's almost dinner time-" She accidentally dropped some cooking oil on her hand, causing her to drop the plate. "Ouuuuuuuuuchhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!" she screamed, eyes welling with tears.

Kyo, acting quickly, took her to the sink and placed her hand under running water, rubbing it soothingly while doing so. "There, there. It's going to be ok. That's what you get for being too clumsy!" he scolded with gentleness Tohru only saw now.

After a few minutes, the pain had disappeared. Kyo glanced at her. "Does it still hurt?"

"Ah…!" She couldn't find the voice to speak. His unexpected kindness has caught her off guard.

"Tohru?"

"H-Hai?"

"D-Does it still hurt?"

"Ah, no, thanks to you!" she quickly said, face turning warm. "Y-You are very kind."

Unknown emotion flickered in his face. "You…you are the first person to tell me that," he murmured, unconsciously tightening his hold on her hand.

Tohru smiled. "Because…because you try to act angry all the time, but actually, you're just masking something deep within you."

__

How did she know? How did she understand my problem quickly?

"But you see, Kyo-kun, if you will always be scared of people, they in turn will be scared of you, and you'll be left alone. Being all by yourself is lonely."

His heart skipped a beat. _She knows exactly how I feel!_

Looking at her warm eyes gazing at him, he suddenly felt the urge to tell her how he feels. _About _her.

"Tohru?"

"Hai?"

"I don't want to be alone. I-"

"Tohru!!!!!!!!!!!"

The two turned around in surprise just as a blond-haired boy leapt into Tohru's arms.

__

Poof!

"So I see you've met Momiji, the hare of the Juunishi," said Hatori as he sipped his tea.

"Oh Tohru, your arms are so soft! And you smell like roses!" gushed Momiji in his animal form, snuggling in her arms.

"You pervert!!!" Kyo was on the verge of tearing his cousin into pieces. "Leave her alone!"

Tohru laughed uneasily. "But he's just a child…"

Shigure choked. "Momiji's not a child! He's-"

"Good evening," greeted Yuki formally as he joined them in the dining room.

"Yuki!" The doctor smiled at him coldly. "I thought I told you to drop by the main house and have your check-up? It's not good to ignore your health."

"On the contrary, I love my health that's why I do not drop by the house anymore," he retorted, sitting beside Tohru.

Tohru, on the other hand, was bewildered. _What is it with the main house that makes Yuki-kun uneasy?_

Momiji pointed eagerly at the shrimps. "I want that one! I want to taste what Tohru made!"

Kyo was glaring at the hare lethally. "Shut up!"

"Hah! You want those tasty things for yourself, don't you, Kyo?" accused Momiji. "Because you love her!"

"W-What?!!!" Kyo's face burned. "Of course _not_! Why should I-"

"I saw you! You were holding Tohru's hand in the kitchen!" said the hare triumphantly.

Shigure looked like he was going to spit out his tea. Hatori suppressed a smirk. Ayame's trademark smirk was playing on his lips. Haru was eating his dish obliviously.

And Yuki…

"What were they doing?" asked the rat calmly.

Tohru panicked. "Nothing, Yuki-kun! Nothing!!"

Momiji however was only too glad to reveal what he saw. "They were talking. Kyo told her she was kind!"

Shigure was positively hysterical. "Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!! Unbelievable, but true! Bwahahahahahahahahha!!!! Children never lie!"

Aya was grinning from ear to ear. "Someone's in love and someone's jealous!"

Tohru was _really_ freaking out now. "But we _really _were just _talking_!!!"

Hatori finished his drink and took a bite of the shrimp. "This is good."

"Ah, you really think so, Hatori-san?" she asked excitedly.

"Good cook." He looked at her thoughtfully.

"Hatori," said Yuki warningly.

"Don't worry. I won't touch her unless Akito decides on it."

Yuki stopped talking, but Tohru could still feel tension from him. She instinctively reached out and touched his hand lying on his knee below the table.

He froze, then glanced at her. She smiled at him.

__

Calm down, Yuki-kun. You promise not to hate anymore. You promised.

He nodded.

__

Yes, Honda-san, and I'll never break a promise I gave you.

"More rice, everyone?" she chirped.

Shigure, relieved that her voice chased the tension away, grinned gamely. "Bring it on!"

"We really have to go," said Hatori, irritated. Ayame and Shigure were keeping him hostage, showing him the album of their high school photos.

"Aaw, but this is fun!" said Ayame.

"Yeah! I second the motion!" agreed Shigure.

Meanwhile, Momiji was still being cuddled by Tohru as she, Haru, Kyo and Yuki played cards.

"I won!" said Kyo triumphantly.

"I don't think so," said Haru, placing his cards down. It was two points higher than Kyo's.

"And I lost again," said Tohru, grinning sheepishly. "I'm not very good at this, but I still like playing this."

Momiji beamed. "It's ok! We'll beat them next time!"

"_Next time_," said Hatori firmly, taking the hare away from Tohru.

Ayame stood up quickly. "When will you drop by again, 'Tori?"

"We'll watch the play," he said simply before he left the house.

"Ah, "tori never changes. He's still as boring as the tiles on the bathroom floor in my office," sighed Shigure. 

Yuki frowned. "We? We who?"

"He might just be referring to Kisa and the others," said Haru comfortingly.

But Yuki wasn't comforted at all by his cousin's words.

He still couldn't take the fear off.

That Akito will make his appearance and do something to hurt Tohru.

His fists clenched.

And he's afraid that he might not find the guts to stand up to him to defend her if that happens.

The door opened again, and in came Hatori again. "Oh, by the way, everyone, I want to know…"

"Yes?" asked everyone.

"Can you say _sex_?"

"Sex?" said everyone just as the flash of camera blinded them.

Hatori nodded and kept his camera in his jacket. "Thanks. Akito likes looking at family pictures."

"Man, I wonder what he meant by that sudden camera trick," groaned Kyo. 

Yuki was in deep silence. He knew that Hatori was going to use the pictures, but how?

Ayame sighed melodramatically. "If Hatori wanted my picture, he should have just asked nicely and I could have gladly posed for him."

"That is what he was afraid of," said Shigure, grinning.

Tohru stood up to clear the dishes. "So what year in elementary is Momiji in?"

Haru looked up at her. "Are you kidding? He's in the same year as I am. We're both third year junior high students."

Tohru dropped the plates. "What?" she squeaked.

Kyo sighed. "As I was saying…"

"I think I'm gonna faint…" she whispered.

"I'll catch you, Tohru-" The writer was saying when Kyo hit him.

"Perverted bone eater!"

"Hah! You're just as lecherous as I am! What did you do to Tohru-kun in the kitchen, huh?" said Shigure challengingly.

Kyo's face flamed. "NOTHING!!!"

"Yeah right, and I'm a rabid fan of Barney."

"Maybe you are!"

Tohru waved her hands frantically. "Calm down, everyone! Let's all talk in peace!"

"Kyo is a lecherous cat!"

"Shut up! Just shut the hell up, you dog!"

Akito looked at the girl in the picture Hatori gave him.

"She is Honda Tohru," said Hatori politely.

"She's ugly. Truly revolting," said Akito, crumpling the picture. He then blinked and flattened the picture again. He found who he was looking for.

"Ah, Yuki has grown," he said with a self-satisfied smile. "I can't wait to see him in the play. Just three nights to sleep away, then we'll see each other."

Dark clouds formed in the sky above the Sohma mansion.

"Then he'll come back to me," said Akito, smiling in malicious glee as he tore the picture in a half, separating Yuki from Tohru.

****

tsuzuku 


	17. When My Heart Beats This Fast

****

Chapter 17: When My Heart Beats This Fast…

Tohru, carrying the script awkwardly, knelt before Kyo. "It's ok, fair maiden. They're gone."

Kyo gulped, then said, "Who are you?" he whispered shakily.

She glanced at the script for a moment, then returned to her mighty prince mode. "It doesn't matter." She gently helped him up and caressed his cheek with the back of her palm. "Take care, Princess."

He looked down at his script. It called for him to hug her!

"Kyo?" she prompted in her usual naïve way.

"I-I…" He cleared his throat nervously. "I'm suppose to hug you."

"Then do it!" she said cheerfully. She held out her arms expectantly.

"B-But I'll turn into a cat!" he protested.

"Ah, I love cats!" she exclaimed.

The comment made his face flame. "STOP SAYING NONSENSE!!!"

"But it's the truth!"

Haru appeared from the back. "If you don't want to do it, then I'll do it." Haru cleared his throat and in a high-pitched voice, said, "When will I see you again, my valiant knight?" He reached out for her and hugged her.

__

Poof!

Moo!

Kyo rolled his eyes. "That _was_ utterly stupid."

Haru sighed. "I can't help it. I like cute people. And she's so huggable."

"You're just as bad as Momiji and Shigure," said the feline.

Yuki read his lines again - the part when he was supposed to rescue the princess from the wild animals. Somehow, Tohru managed to brainstorm his experience before! It was like magic!

__

There was this little girl who was crying. I couldn't forget the paralyzed fear on her face. I just had to help her, even if I was scared of the consequences if Hatori sees me helping a normal human.

She had the largest, most expressive eyes that I've ever seen, and I could clearly see myself reflected in their moist eternity. 

I can never forget her.

He smiled. It was his first time to feel such concern for a girl that he thought he loved her.

But then…

…she came along.

He looked up when he heard two knocks on his door.

"Yuki-kun, dinner time!" announced Tohru brightly.

"Coming!" he said before putting down the script.

Tohru watched as Kyo and Yuki ate silently, not glaring at each other the way they usually do.

__

It's kinda scary not seeing them bicker. As if Jupiter just decided to bump Mars off its orbit and take its place beside Earth!

"More rice, Honda-san," requested Yuki, handing the bowl to her.

"Tohru, do we have any more rice?" said Kyo at the same time, handing his bowl to her.

Silence.

"Not again," muttered Haru.

Ayame watched the two expectantly.

Shigure licked his chopsticks. "Hmm, who should you serve first, Tohru-kun?"

"Ah…!"

"I think I should be served first, Kyo," said Yuki in fake pleasantry, making the neko mad.

"Oh, and why is that?" he asked through gritted teeth. "We are both hungry, but I'm _hungrier_. So _I _should be the first one to be served."

"So you're using your stomach as an excuse, huh?" said the nezumi. "I'm more polite than that, especially when in front of Honda-san."

"Don't involve Tohru here!" shouted Kyo, toppling the table. Shigure, however, was quick enough to save his bowl of rice. He continued eating obliviously afterwards.

Ayame clicked his tongue in mock regret. "I think it's only right to call _that_ fighting. And as our agreement says, I get to take Tohru-chan anywhere I want to!" With that, he took Tohru by hand and led her out of the house.

"Where are you taking her-" The two boys tried to stand up, but were stunned to see that they were bound by pantyhoses!

"Aya's idea," said Shigure nonchalantly. "He knew that one of these days, you will both blow the fuse. Haru did a good job on predicting what exact day and time it will be."

"All in a day's work," said Haru, shrugging, as he threw the excess stockings away.

Kyo and Yuki looked at each other, scowling.

They gazed at each other testily for a few minutes more before Yuki sighed. "OK, let's work together and save Honda-san from my brother."

Kyo blinked. "Ah…right."

__

The goddam mouse swallowed his pride and took the first step to make a truce!

That proves it. He loves her.

"Get up already!" snapped Yuki, "or else I'll fall down!" 

"Coming! Coming! Geez, goddam mouse!" he muttered under his breath.

Tohru was stunned to find themselves in front of a dress shop bearing the name of Ayame. "T-This is where you work?" she asked.

Yuki's brother shrugged modestly. "I own this dress shop."

Tohru clasped her hands together and looked at him admiringly. "Wow, that is so cool! A man who is not afraid to admit that he owns a clothes shop!"

"Why, of course! I _make_ them!" He opened the door for her. "Come in, Princess, and I'll tour you inside."

"One, two. One, two. One-"

Kyo wiped a sweat off his brow. "This is so damn embarrassing!"

"You can say that again," agreed Yuki as he and his cousin tried to walk in synchronized rhythm. The pantyhose proved harder to untie or even break than they thought. 

"The material used in that pantyhose was especially chosen by Aya himself," said Shigure as he watched their futile attempts in tearing the material binding their legs. "It won't break apart unless he does it himself."

"The people are watching us," said Kyo, somewhat self-consciously. "If they don't stop staring, I swear I'll attack them!"

"Don't. You'll drag me into your stupidity," snapped Yuki.

"So where do we find her?" asked Kyo, trying to act diplomatic for a change.

__

Things I'll do for that girl.

Why do I love her so anyway?

And that damn gay! I'll wring his little neck once I find him!

Kyo paused from thinking when he heard a little boy's voice.

"Mommy, Mommy! Look at those two men! They don't know how to wear pantyhoses properly! And they're sharing it!" said the lad, pointing at him and Yuki.

"Ignore them, Sonny. Some people would just do _anything_ to get a good laugh at themselves," said the boy's mother, glaring at them pointedly.

"You think they stole that from the nice old lady beside our house?"

"Maybe. She did complain it was missing."

It was all Kyo could do from scratching everyone's cells to death.

"Ah, your shop is so wonderful, Ayame-san! And the clothes!" gushed Tohru, starry-eyed.

He seemed to enjoy her continuous praises. "Ah, and that's not my best work yet!" He went to the left corner of the shop and raised the curtain covering a mannequin. "Voila! My masterpiece!"

Tohru's jaw dropped. "Wow!" She excitedly ran her hand on the silk material of the blue Prince costume. "It's beautiful!"

"Only the best for my brother," shrugged Ayame, but he was evidently happy by Tohru's reaction.

"Oh, Yuki-kun is lucky to have a brother like you!" said Tohru.

Ayame smiled sadly. "Now if only Yuki knows that."

"This is it. This is the shop the man told us," said Yuki, looking at the piece of paper then at the Ayame shop in front of them disdainfully.

"Eew," groaned Kyo, shivering. 

"Let's go in," said Yuki. "This is our only hope."

As soon as they pushed the door open, Ayame burst towards them. "Welcomeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!" He charged in full speed, arms wide open.

"Nyaaaah!!!!!!" Yuki avoided his brother just in time, but the pantyhose prevented Kyo from running to the other side. Ayame's arms wrapped around Kyo, and he kissed the pissed neko affectionately. 

"You found me!" cried Ayame happily. 

"Let go of me, you crazy homo bitch!" yelped Kyo.

"As you wish!" The snake instantly let go of him, sending the neko out of balance. He landed on someone from behind and then poofed into a cat.

Mine looked at Kyo in horror. "Oh goodness, I'm sorry! I didn't know we have visitors!"

"Now you know," groaned the cat crossly.

Ayame smiled. "Kon kichi Kyo, you'll be glad to know who came to visit my shop."

"Huh?" _That doesn't sound good._

"Kyooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

The neko gasped then ran for the door. His feet were then free from the pantyhose. Just as he stepped out of the shop, Kagura emerged from another room and proceeded to follow him.

Yuki sighed. "Goodness, why didn't I think of that solution before! Transform into our Juunishi forms so we can free ourselves! We made fools out of ourselves on the streets awhile ago."

"You mean you walked a three-legged race up to here?" said Ayame, amused.

"It's _not_ funny!" shouted Yuki. He was about to wring his brother's neck when he heard a familiar angelic voice.

"Ayame-san, who's there?" Tohru stepped out from the dressing room and gasped. "Ah, Yuki-kun!" 

Yuki paused too, stunned.

Tohru was wearing a big felt prince hat, plus a prince costume. Her porcelain complexion was complemented beautifully by the soft baby blue color of the costume, and the form-fitting costume showed her curves.

"Ah, Tohru-kun, you are so cute!" gushed Ayame, laughing. "You are a _charming_ Prince Charming!" He turned to his brother. "What can you say?"

"Ah…"

Tohru blushed. "I'm sorry, Yuki-kun. I liked your costume so Ayame-san told me there's no problem in trying it on."

Yuki couldn't still find his voice.

They then both heard something explode outside the shop. Ayame got up obligingly. "I'll check on Kyo and Kagura first. They might do some heavy damage on my shop, and I can't afford that, since I still have to pay my credit card charges." He winked at Tohru then shut the door.

"Ah, Yuki-kun, did you like the costume Ayame-san made for you?" she asked shyly. "He slaved over this day and night because he said he wanted nothing but the best for you."

"Oh!" His eyes softened. "He said that?"

"Uh-huh!" nodded Tohru eagerly. She rotated around, showing off the costume. "So what can you say?"

"Cute," he murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Very cute," he said, purple eyes twinkling. "Anything will look cute on you, Honda-san."

"Ah!"

__

Yuki-kun…

Yuki-kun thinks I'm cute!

Oh my, I'm going to faint!

Yuki then clasped her hand and brought it to his lips. "You are so cute, Your Highness." Smiling, he put her hand down and opened the door for her. "Let's go check on Kagura."

"R-Right!" Her eyes followed him as he went out of the shop.

__

I'm cute…but did he just say that in jest?

Or that outfit was so cute that he thought I was cute too?

Ah, Yuki-kun, how can you send me into such confusion with mere few words and gestures?

She touched her heart.

__

Kyo-kun touches my hand this way too, but I do not feel my heart dance this way when he does.

When my heart beats this fast…

Does that mean…

****

tsuzuku


	18. One Rainy Day

****

Chapter 18: One Rainy Day

Akito watched lazily as the dark, forbidding clouds hid the birds in flight momentarily before the flying creatures were once again revealed.

"Yuki was blinded momentarily by the witch, but he shall see the light of the situation again." A malevolent smile formed on his lips. "Or the darkness."

He turned to Hatori. "I'm taking a walk."

"I'll come with you."

"No," he said flatly. "I will walk _alone_."

He stood up and gathered the hem of his robe. "It's a great day to feel the breeze."

"It's going to rain. Hard," Hatori pointed out.

This was dismissed by the clan head's dismissive shrug.

Tohru looked out at the window forlornly. The wind was getting harsher, meaning she had to cancel the picnic she planned for everyone.

In the living room, Shigure sighed audibly. "The weather! Hah! Just as unpredictable as a woman!"

She tried her best to sound optimistic. "Then let's eat inside!"

Kyo snorted. "Puh-leeze, Tohru. You know we can't roast barbecue indoors."

"Oh, I forgot."

Yuki got out of his room, wearing a raincoat. "I'll be back," he said before heading out of the house.

"Where's that mouse going?" Kyo wanted to know.

"To his secret base," she replied, her eyes following him worriedly. _The wind might destroy his garden! But that's nothing compared to him catching cold, or worse, fever!_

Haru was thinking the same thing. "He's got a history of weak lungs."

Tohru sprang into action. "I'll follow him!" She got up hurried out of the house.

"Tohru!" yelled Kyo. 

"It's a mother hen instinct," said Haru. "She acts without thinking when it comes to her chicks."

"You've got the same instinct too, only I doubt if you any brain to think with at all," muttered Kyo. "You shouldn't have told her about Yuki's health. Now she's worried!"

"She deserves to know," said Haru gently.

Kyo clenched his fists then got up.

Tohru tucked a wet strand of her hair behind her ear as the wind slapped mercilessly across her cheek. "Yuki-kun! Yuki-kun, come back here! You might catch a cold! Yuki-kun!"

She was about to go the garden when she heard a thin voice call her name. She looked over the trees and saw a man standing in the middle of nowhere, holding a black umbrella.

"Honda Tohru-san, I presume?" He began as he strode towards her. "I heard you call Yuki's name so I knew at once it was you."

"Ah…"

Upon closer inspection, she found out that he was not very old - in fact, he was a handsome young man that reminded her of Yuki! However, what caught her attention was the steely glint in his cold eyes.

"Would you like to share my umbrella, Honda Tohru-san?" he asked politely.

__

But I do not even know him! Her mind cried.

He seemed to read her mind. He suddenly broke into a grin. "I'm Sohma Akito, the clan head."

__

The clan head!

Sohma Akito!

"Let's look for Yuki together, ok?" he offered kindly.

__

But he acts so kindly and friendly…maybe I just imagined what I felt when I looked at his eyes.

"T-Thank you," she bowed and walked under the shade of his umbrella as the rain started to fall harder.

"Akito walked _alone_? Why did you let him?" asked Kagura as Hatori lit his cigarette.

"I'm not that stupid. I'll fetch him later. He was dead serious when he said that he must go out on his own," said the doctor calmly.

"Fetch him? So you know where he went!"

"Yes."

"Tell me then."

"He came to see Honda Tohru for himself."

"So how did you end up in Shigure's house?" asked Akito as they tread on the rocky path together.

She narrated how Yuki found her living by herself in the property owned by the Sohmas and how she served Yuki as his personal attendant.

"So what are the duties you do for him?" he pressed.

"Ah…" She couldn't remember anymore, since she was used to Yuki treating her not as a maid but as a friend.

But the person before him interpreted it in another way. "Are you ashamed to share to me the things you do for him?" he asked, his voice sounding a little urgent.

"It's not that, Sohma-san!"

"Call me Akito."

"Akito-san, it's not that! It's just that…well, they're just your usual activities. I wash the plates, I cook, I do the laundry, and I keep the house tidy."

"I don't want to know the things you do for the house. What do you do for Yuki? Dear Yuki, who never liked close contacts with the opposite sex?" he pressed further.

__

I sense danger! She looked around her, but it seemed that they had gone way off course, and was far both from Yuki's base and Shigure's house! She was alone with this man. She was defenseless.

She winced suddenly when she felt his hand grip her shoulder.

"Answer me," he said hoarsely.

She shut her eyes, wishing this was all a nightmare. That the moment she opens her eyes, everything would disappear.

His rough shaking made her eyes flap open again. "What are you in Yuki's life?!!!" he yelled as the rain fell harder.

She felt her eyes well up with tears. "I'm…his friend."

The roaring thunder swallowed the words Akito uttered next.

"Nezumi!!!"

Yuki turned around and saw his cousin, Kyo, running towards him in alarm. "What?" he snapped.

"Where's Tohru?" the _neko_ asked, for the first time not making a retort on his usual greeting.

His forehead creased. "Isn't she with you in the house?"

"She went out to find you." He looked at the jacket he was holding. "And the idiot she is, she forgot to take anything to protect her from the rain."

"Well, she's not with me," he said, his voice even although he was starting to panic inside.

"It's not like her to just decide to stroll in the woods when it's pouring cats and dogs! Even she couldn't be _that_ stupid."

Yuki immediately felt the need to see Tohru again. "I'll look for her in the north. Try the south part of the woods."

"Right!" The two boys split directions at once.

Akito's mouth left hers. She saw him smile snidely upon seeing the bleeding lower lip he caused.

"Soft and sweet…had Yuki ever felt its honey-sweetness, Tohru dear?" he murmured in a low, evil voice. 

She collapsed on the muddy ground, leaning weakly on the rough bark of the tree.

Her lips hurt…she could taste blood.

But what shook her more was the venomous taste Akito left in her mouth. She felt so sick that she wanted to throw up there and then. The poison of his obsession with Yuki.

He picked up the umbrella that was beside her. "Give Yuki all my love with those lips, Tohru-chan. Good day." He started to walk in the opposite direction.

__

Okaasan…I've never felt this fear in my whole life. I've never felt so low and pathetic. I've never felt so hated like this before.

Then she couldn't continue her conversation with her mother anymore. She was too weak. She was too tired.

__

Never. Never. Never.

The rest of her thoughts were drowned in the sobs that finally escaped her throat and were now sending her whole body in helpless violent trembling.

For the first time since her mother died, she was crying her whole heart out.

Yuki was trudging on the muddy soil when he saw a black umbrella ahead, with a familiar-looking man holding it.

His heart stopped beating.

The man drew nearer, and now Yuki knew that he couldn't possibly be wrong.

Akito approached him with a gleeful smile. "Yuki!"

"W-What are you doing here?" he asked, finding his voice.

"I want to see you again." Akito stepped closer towards him, and he stepped back. "That is not how I expected you to react, Yuki. After all, it's been quite a while since we last saw each other. I missed you terribly!"

"W-What do…you want?" He tried to fight off the desperation overwhelming him.

"You're a lot stronger now, Yuki. And much more stubborn." Akito looked at him testily. "It's because of that girl, isn't it, Yuki?"

He couldn't speak. _Tohru! I can't fall to pieces now! I must find her!_

"I knew it," said the clan head. "I met her awhile ago, and I couldn't see why you changed because of her. You were always so obedient and submissive, Yuki. What happened?" he asked softly, but there was razor-sharp edge in his voice.

__

Met her!

"What did you do to Honda-san?" he yelled.

"Let's say, I talked to her."

Fear crossed his face. "Where is she?"

Only a smile spread on Akito's face.

"Where is she?" repeated Yuki, but Akito started to walk away.

"I'll see you in the play, Yuki," he said before leaving.

Yuki looked at the woods where Akito came from. He ran towards it. "Tohru!!!"

She felt that her eyes ran out of tears already, but she still wanted to cry. She couldn't entertain the thought of dying in the rain because of hypothermia, nor could she think of the fever she may contact.

But at the back of her mind, she told herself that she must dry her tears and compose herself.

__

Find Yuki-kun.

But then she heard his voice calling her name. She looked up just to check if her ears weren't cheating her.

It was him. He was rushing towards her, face clearly worried. "Tohru!!!"

At the sound of his familiar gentle voice, she found herself sobbing again in relief and joy.

He knelt before her, alarmed. "What did Akito do to you?"

"Take me home, Yuki-kun," she begged, voice choked by tears.

"I will, Tohru, I will." He long to gather her into his arms and tell her that she's safe, but he was afraid to turn into a mouse, the animal she detests. 

__

Kimi o kanjiru suru. To touch you. To make everything all right. But I can't.

He then noticed the blood on her lips. "Tohru?" He wiped it gingerly. "Tohru, what happened?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does, Tohru." He continued to brush her lips with his thumb. "It does, because you are important to me. Because I want to protect you at all times."

"Yuki-kun…" She reached out and buried her head on his chest.

He poofed into a mouse, but Tohru didn't even freak out. Instead she took him and nestled him against her tear-stained cheeks. With his nose, he dried her falling tears.

She smiled down at him tearfully. "Thank you, Yuki-kun."

"Thank you too, Tohru," he replied.

__

Because you got over your fear of mice for me.

Because you helped me overcome my fear of Akito marginally.

"Let's go home," she said.

__

Home. 

"How was your visit?" asked Hatori as he opened the car door for Akito.

The clan head didn't reply. He was too busy thinking about Tohru. About Yuki.

__

She's a nuisance. She must go.

****

tsuzuku


	19. The One I Really Love

****

Chapter 19: The One I Really Love

"Tohru?"

She blinked and looked at Kyo, whose wig she was arranging into his head. "W-What? Am I doing it wrong?"

He sighed. "You've been more absent-minded than usual lately."

She looked down. It's true. Ever since that rainy day that Akito kissed her, she was never ever the same again. She couldn't find the will to smile as brightly as she used to do, because her lips bear the mark of that fateful day.

A kiss of pure hatred. A kiss of pure spite. This was not how she imagined her first kiss to be! She dreamt of sharing that magical kiss with someone she loves.

"I'm worried about you," said Kyo suddenly, face flushed. 

"Kyo-kun?"

He looked at her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You're a terrible liar."

"Ah, Kyo-kun, do not bother yourself with my problems."

"But I want to know what makes you sad, troubled…or even happy. I care about those things!" he burst out. "Because I care about you, Tohru!"

She gasped. "Kyo…kun…"

He looked away. "There, I've said it. I love you, Tohru. I don't know why the hell I did, but now I can't fight it off anymore."

For the first time since days, she smiled. "I love you too, Kyo-kun," she said softly, meeting his eyes. "I love Shigure-san too, and Ayame-san." 

His face fell. "I see."

"EEEEEH!!!! Prince Yuki!!!!" the female-dominated crowd cheered.

She and Kyo looked up and saw Yuki, dressed in the prince costume Ayame made for him, being flocked by his fangirls.

"But you love _him_ more, don't you?" he whispered.

She smiled sadly. It was impossibly crazy, but deep in her heart, she does. Owning his heart would make her the happiest girl in the world.

__

But I can't.

He is owned by the masses.

He is a property of Akito-san.

Plus…

…he couldn't fall in love with someone as ordinary as me.

Who am I?

Just another girl who foolishly fell in love with someone that was too good for me.

Just then, Shigure entered the backstage. "The play is starting in two minutes. Get ready!"

She clasped Kyo's hand. "Goodluck! Break a leg!"

He pinched her nose fondly. "NO matter what, this play is for you, Tohru."

She beamed. "Thanks!"

__

Why didn't I fall for Kyo-kun instead?

It would have been a lot easier, since he feels the same way for me.

Too bad I can't dictate my heartbeat.

Shigure stepped in front of the audience dressed as "a respectable hermit" as Haru calls his elder cousin's get-up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, plus the people of third and fourth sex, what you shall witness is a modern, upbeat version of a fairy tale classic. Entitled "Snow White and the Twelve Juunishi _Beasts_", this is a twisted version of Snow White's cursed dwarves."

Kyo, hiding behind the curtain, scowled. "He just had to emphasize the Juunishi dwarves, neh?" 

"Ssh!" His fellow actors hushed.

"Now, without further ado, let us start the story." Shigure drew the curtain to the corner. 

"Once upon a time, back when there were no burger chains or Chinese take-outs yet, there lived an emperor who was known for his might and power. He had conquered a lot of kingdoms in ancient China, which I had already told you that was so ancient that there was not even a _vending machine_ there, and ruled these vending machine-less kingdoms with an iron hand."

Haru appeared in the scene, dressed in an authentic Chinese emperor outfit that Ayame bought for the play. He was followed by some servants that bow towards their master nervously.

"I want ice cream!" he ordered.

"But Your Majesty, Marco Polo is not going to visit China until several hundreds of years later!" protested his servants weakly.

"Then give me pizza instead!"

"Hawaiian, Your Majesty?"

Shigure interrupted the scene. "However, he was aging, and he wanted a son that would continue what he has started. So he sought the help of the fertility goddess, Vi'ag'rha , and she didn't fail him. She bore him a child, but unfortunately, due to wrong positions in bed, the child became a girl."

( Yuki was burning in fury at the backstage. "That perverted Shigure!")

The novelist continued his solemn narration. "The emperor was disgusted! He ordered the child to be left in the wilderness to die, but the child's mother took pity on the poor soul, so she ordered the social outcasts, the Juunishi animals, to take care of her child. In return, she shall have their paychecks sent to them through mail, and that does not include the daily allowance of the child's diapers, milk and clothes. The wise leader of the clan, the dragon named Ri'To'Ha, agreed. Very, very shrewd, indeed."

Hatori, seated in the audience, scowled. "Damn that dog! Remind me to add muriatic acid to his daily vitamins next time."

A dragon mascot appeared, followed by several animal mascots. "This child is a blessing! Now, what shall we call her?"

The cat raised its hand. "Milky!"

"Shut up! We don't need your opinion!" snapped the rat.

"But she's got milky complexion," agreed the dog. "As white as snow."

"Snow White!!!" chorused the animals.

"That's tacky!" complained the sheep.

"Who cares! As long as we know what to call her," said the cow.

Shigure appeared in the scene once again. "The animals took turns in babysitting their princess. The rat, especially, became very fond of the baby. Soon that baby grew up into a lovely young lady. Only in the cocoon of womanhood, but already a heartbreaker!"

"One lazy afternoon, Snow white and the Juunishi animals were playing hide and seek when she suddenly got lost in the woods. Don't ask me how. She's _that_ stupid, er, _naïve_."

Kyo trudged into the stage as the audience doubled over with laughter.

"Where am I?" he asked. "Am I lost?" He raised his hand as if calling. "Ki'Yu, Ri'To'Ha? Re'Gu'Shi? Ki'Yo? Where are you guys?"

Shigure walked back to stage followed by mascots of wild animals. "Suddenly, wild animals surrounded the little princess."

Kyo dramatically collapsed on the floor, trembling. "Please…don't hurt me!"

The animals approached him menacingly.

"Oh, please, no!" cried Kyo.

__

I ran out of lines to say! When is that goddam mouse going to charge?

Damn it, I HATE HIM!!!

"As if hearing her prayers, a young man charged into the scene!" boomed Shigure.

Yuki arrived, dressed in his prince costume, but his eyes were masked by a white cloth, holes cut out to see marginally, but not enough for them to be seen. He took out his sword, and did the choreographed fight scene.

Soon, the mascots fled. Only Yuki and Kyo remained. 

"It's ok. It's safe," said Yuki, putting his sword back in place.

Kyo steamed, forgetting that he was in front of the audience. "What took you so long, you doofus?" he snapped.

The audience gasped.

__

Oops.

Shigure saved the scene. "The princess was so damn mad! She nearly ruined her one-thousand-yen gown because she was rescued late! But when the prince smiled, she instantly melted into the Prince' arms."

Kyo, glaring at his cousin, hugged him. "I'm sorry about my temper," he improvised. "When will I see you again?"

Yuki caressed his cheek. "Take care, Princess. When you need me, I'll be there."

With that, Yuki left the stage, as his fangirls complained of his lack of exposure.

Shigure drew the curtains to a close. "The second act will follow after a short 10-minute recess."

Kyo and Yuki wanted to choke Shigure, but Tohru wanly reminded them that the 10-minute break is enough only for changing costumes.

Kyo withdrew first. "Damn, I'm thirsty!"

Haru quietly handed him a glass of milk. "Here." The neko took one big gulp.

"What took you so long to appear in the scene anyway, Yuki?" Shigure asked.

Yuki groaned. "My hat got stuck on the doorway as I was about to charge."

Soon, it was curtains up for the second act.

Shigure walked into the scene again. "It's been 5 years after that fateful rescue. Princess Snow White is now a fully bloomed rose of 17. Although reluctant to see her off, she must be given chance to interact with other people aside from animals that talk."

The animal mascots appeared once again. Kyo, wearing a different princess gown and a longer wig, was waving at her friends sadly.

"Are you sure you'll be ok alone?" asked the tiger.

Kyo nodded bravely. "The spirit of the woods shall guide me."

"Take care, Snow White," said the rat softly.

Kyo hugged the animal. "Thank you, Ki'Yu. I'll come visit you guys again when I have the time."

"I hate the thought that you shall marry soon," admitted the rat.

Kyo pretended to look puzzled.

"Never mind," said the mouse mascot.

"Bai bai!" chorused the animals as Kyo proceeded to walk.

Shigure appeared. "Soon, she was absorbed in the palace as a maid. Her beauty was not unnoticed. Even the emperor himself was bewitched by her beauty!"

Haru appeared with his servants, and they passed by the sweeping Snow White.

"I'm bewitched by her beauty," said Haru dryly.

"We can see that," agreed Shigure sarcastically. "So, he ordered her to marry him, not knowing that this was the daughter he had thrown away!"

The scene changed into a throneroom. Kyo was kneeling before the emperor respectfully.

"I want you to be my wife," said Haru simply.

Kyo looked up. "I'm sorry, Your Highness, but you are not my type."

Haru gasped.

"Besides, someone else has caught my heart before," explained the princess.

"I shall hear none of these foolishness!" bellowed the emperor. "So you dare defy me, fair maiden?" He seized Kyo roughly.

"Hey, hands off!" screamed Kyo. And just like what happened in the rehearsal, he threw the emperor ala-judo on the throne. The royal seat was destroyed due to the impact.

Someone in the audience commented loudly. "Wow, Snow White is sure strong!" 

Shigure groaned. _He messed up the play yet again. And it's up to me to save it yet again._

But before he could speak, the emperor had recovered already and was bent on revenge! "Why, you bitch!" Black Haru proceeded to tear Snow White's tresses.

"Let go! Let go!" cried Kyo. "It hurts, you crazy asshole!"

"Um, did I mention that this play carries a Parental Guidance rating for violence and profanity?" said Shigure meekly.

__

The play is doomed!

He quickly pulled the curtains to a close. "Third act will continue in just a minute, folks!"

Everyone looked at their copy of the play. "What third act?" they chorused.

"Great, Kyo! Now what are we going to do with the play?" barked Mayu-sensei. 

"Improvise," said Shigure. "Let's pick up from what happened, ok?"

"So what do we do?" asked the teacher curiously.

"This," Shigure ushered everyone in a circle and whispered to them the back-up plot.

The curtains raised.

Shigure walked in the scene. "We shall start where we stop - in the violent and bloody fight between the emperor who never tasted defeat or rejection until now, and the Princess Snow White who was fighting desperately for her virginity."

Kyo suddenly fainted. Smoke appeared in the stage, and suddenly Vi'Ag'Rha appeared!

"Huh? You're still alive, you horny old woman!" exclaimed the emperor.

"Yes! I possessed my daughter's body, hoping to kill you because of your evil ways, but it seems that she's too weak, so I decided to leave her body already," said the Chinese goddess. "Now, let's rumble, one-on-one!"

"Fine with me!" said Haru. He started to take off his heavy emperor costume, revealing his smooth flesh. The fangirls started to scream like crazy.

"Oh yeah?" said the goddess challengingly. She started to take her clothes off, to the male audience' delight, but Shigure was quick to shut the curtains close.

All the audience could hear was the sound of punches, kicks and screams, then a _thud_ on the floor.

"The battle is done," said Shigure solemnly. He peeked inside the curtain, then faced the audience. "Both of them are too tired to continue the _battle_, so-"

Kyo appeared from the curtain. "Where am I?"

Suddenly people slid the curtains away, revealing a crowd of people mobbing around something…or somebody. Who knows?

"What happened to the emperor?" yelled the people. Upon seeing Snow White and Shigure, they glared at them.

"Don't look at me," said Shigure quickly. "I'm just an innocent hermit narrating the events here."

The people began to pull Snow White.

"I didn't do it! Really, I didn't!"

But her screams were not heard. 

"Kill her! Kill her!" screamed the mob.

"But how?" one voice asked.

Just then, a peddler appeared. "Poisonous apples! Poisonous apples for sale! We also have poisonous bananas for sale!"

The mob cheered. "We'll poison her!"

Kyo was dragged into the center of the stage and fed the poisonous apple. He suddenly shut his eyes and landed on the floor, sleeping.

"She's dead! Hurray! We have avenged the emperor!"

"Hurray!"

The people started to walk away just as the stage curtains closed.

Shigure smiled at the audience. "And now, for the final scene…"

"Kyo-kun, wake up!" said Tohru, alarmed. "It's your final moment now! You can't go to sleep!"

"You mean you actually poisoned the apple? For real?" said Mayu-sensei incredulously. 

"I thought you would like to make things more realistic, sensei," said the propsman, scratching his head. "It's just a tranquilizer anyway. He'll wake up after a few hours."

"We can't wait that long! We need a princess now!" screamed the director.

Haru pointed at Tohru. "Why don't she take Kyo's role? She practiced the script with him, didn't she?"

"Ah, but…!"

Yuki smiled. "She will be perfect."

She blushed before nodding. "Alright."

Soon, Tohru found herself lying on a coffin surrounded by artificial flowers, surrounded by animal mascots. 

Shigure began the narration once again. "OK, so it's the parting scene. The Juunishi heard of Snow White's tragic death, so they took Snow White's body that was mercilessly left on the streets for two days already. They cleaned her body and added formalin, which miraculously made her prettier than usual."

"Why did they do such a thing to you?" moaned the dragon. "Why?"

The cat clasped the princess' hand. "Why?"

The boar cried "Why?"

Shigure clicked his tongue. "Everyone had questions, but what can they do? She's dead. Zilch. Zero breath. Flatline."

"But miracles of miracles," continued the narrator. "Vi' Ag' Rah materialized in the scene!"

Smoke filled the stage again, and the Chinese goddess appeared, looking like she had recovered from her battle with the emperor. "I've gotten rid of that damn emperor already, so Snow White, my child, can assume the throne. She can come back to life through a kiss of her one true love."

The rat approached the princess, and smoke filled the stage again.

"This play is a hazard to health," commented Hatori. "This is the fifth release of carbon monoxide in the stage."

The smoke cleared, and Yuki appeared again, dressed like a prince.

"Huh?" his fellow Juunishi mascots chorused.

The goddess smiled. "Let me explain. You see, I've been watching over you guys for quite sometime, and I've noticed that only the rat, Ki'Yu, was taking good care of my daughter, so I allowed him the privilege to turn into human when he wants to."

"That's unfair!" complained the mascots.

"Hah! As if using the money for baby supplies in purchasing Home TV Shopping gizmos is fair too!" retorted the Chinese goddess. She turned to Yuki. "Go ahead, and bring her back to life with your kiss."

"But what if she doesn't wake up?" asked Yuki uncertainly.

"That would be impossible, since you are the only one Snow White loved. It's default, since you were the first guy she laid her eyes on," said the goddess. "If she does not wake up, you've got a bad case of halitosis."

Shigure continued narrating. "So, the prince knelt down before the princess and kissed her back to life."

Yuki looked at Tohru uncertainly, before leaning down to kiss her.

Tohru shut her eyes and prepared herself for the pain she felt when Akito kissed her.

But she felt none. In fact, as his lips touched hers delicately, she felt overwhelming joy in her heart. She could feel her heart spin dizzily, but she didn't care.

__

This is the magic of the real first kiss given by a person I truly love!

His lips left hers, and she opened her eyes. She sat up as Yuki assisted her.

The audience clapped wildly as Yuki and Tohru stood up finally.

Shigure walked to the center of the stage. "So, with that, the Princess Snow White returned to her father's palace with her mother and assumed her father's reign. She and the Prince Ki'Yu were married and…"

"…they lived happily ever after!" finished the audience before they stood up to give the actors a standing ovation.

The play has ended. Everyone was being congratulated, especially Yuki, whose fangirls were around him again. Smiling, Tohru took off her wig. Despite the minor setbacks, everything turned out fine.

__

Okaasan, I'll never ever forget this wonderful day. The day Yuki kissed me.

She walked out of the dressing room to fetch everyone a tray of refreshments when she bumped into somebody. She looked up to apologize but froze.

It was Hatori.

"Honda Tohru. Just the person I was looking for." With that, he covered her mouth with a handkerchief.

Everything turned black.

****

tsuzuku 

__

final chapter to be out soon! Syao thanks you for reading Kimi o Kanjiru Suru!!!


	20. The Tragedy Behind the Unseeing Lonely E...

__

My sister requested that I extend the fiction to a few more chapters so nope, I won't finish the fic just yet. ***sweatdrops as the readers booed*** Ok, sorry again for the sudden change of fic plans!

****

Chapter 20: The Tragedy Behind a Lonely Man's Unseeing Eyes

Tohru opened her eyes and found herself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Frowning, she sat up, but discovered that she felt really weak. She laid her body down again and moaned softly.

"Don't move too much, Honda Tohru. The tranquilizer's side effect is still there," instructed a man's voice. It was Hatori, sitting down on a chair at the foot of her bed. "You'll feel a little malaise here and there, and drowsiness, but after a few hours, you'll be fine," he finished.

"W-Where am I?" she asked.

"In the main house of the Sohma clan," he replied. "I brought you here."

"But why?" she asked again.

"Akito wants to talk to you again."

"Akito-san?" Her heartbeat froze. The fateful rainy night memories flooded her memories again. 

"He's still resting, but I'll bring him to you in just a little while," he said.

She panicked and sat up, despite the sudden lurch she felt in her throat. "N-No, have mercy. Please-"

"I'm sorry, Honda Tohru, but I cannot defy the head of the clan," he said coldly.

Kyo opened his eyes and found his fellow actors grinning at him.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty! Had a nice hundred year slumber?" asked one actor who played the sheep mascot.

He sat up and scratched his head, annoyed. "What the hell was in that apple?"

The propsman grinned sheepishly. "Er, let's just say it was done realistically for art's sake."

"The play? What happened to the play?" he asked.

"It's done."

"But how did the play end without me?"

"Someone else took over the job for you," explained Mayu-sensei. "Fortunately, Tohru knew the lines, so she acted for you."

"But you can only imagine the wrath the Princess Fan club unleashed upon learning that it wasn't you whom the Prince kissed, but Tohru," grinned another actor dressed in a dog costume.

"I dare not ask," said Kyo dryly. "So where's Tohru?"

The actors shrugged. "We don't know. She didn't join us when we bowed again, so we had to make Mayu-sensei wear the Princess costume and make her pretend that she's Tohru."

"She simply disappeared," agreed another.

Kyo frowned. "That's weird."

He then remembered again how unhappy Tohru was these past few days ever since she disappeared the first time in the woods. Neither she nor Yuki told him what happened, but he noticed that they were both drenched physically and drowned emotionally.

__

Somehow, is this connected with that?

He hurried out of the dressing room and started to search for his cousins. He found Shigure being interviewed by the press people.

"Of course we can have the play be made into a motion picture. My royalty fee is _affordable_." Shigure gave the cameras an award-winning smile. "In fact, I can even make a cameo appearance in it. Again, my talent fee is _affordable_."

"Shigure!" hissed Kyo.

"Not now! I'm presently answering the eager questions of the masses!" complained the dog.

"It's Tohru! She's missing!"

Shigure frowned, then turned to the media people. "Maybe we can continue this some other time." He threw them his calling cards. "Call me!" He then pulled his cousin away. "What's this about Tohru missing?"

"I don't know!" cried the neko. "I asked everyone where Tohru is, but they didn't know either."

The novelist looked really worried. "Did you see Hatori or Akito?"

"Why should I look for those-" He stopped as realization dawned in him. "You think?"

"No, I don't think. I _know_."

Tohru then noticed a picture frame on Hatori's desk. She stood up and went there to take a closer look. The doctor didn't say anything to stop her. He merely watched as she picked the frame up and looked at it curiously.

"She's very pretty," she whispered softly.

"Her name is Kana," he replied shortly.

"Your wife?" she asked.

"How should my answer benefit you, Honda Tohru?" he asked curtly.

"Ah, I was just asking." She placed the picture frame back and smiled at him. "Because I can feel this woman is very special to you."

"Hmm?"

"I placed the picture of my deceased mother in a frame too, because I can feel that this is the only way I can keep her memory sacred and alive."

"She's still alive," said Hatori.

"Ah! Then where is she?" she asked.

"I don't think I'm obliged to answer you that, Honda Tohru."

"Ah, I was just asking. Don't be mad!" she said, laughing uneasily. She looked at the picture again. "Really pretty."

To that, Hatori smiled secretly to himself.

"I think so too," he said at last.

"Eh?" She looked up.

"Kana is a lovely woman, with such admirable values and strength." He stood up and took the pack of cigarette on his desk. "She's very kind."

"I knew it! Her eyes say it!" exclaimed Tohru, clapping her hands in delight.

He looked surprised. "You mean you can tell a person's personality in his or her eyes? That's medically impossible. All you see are just a pupil, retina-"

"Ah!" Tohru beamed. "You are a doctor who was reared in the science of medicine, but you must also learn that there are some things that medicine can never explain." She looked at Kana's picture again. "For instance, ophthalmologists can never explain the delighted twinkle in her eyes, because all they care about are the veins behind her lovely, laughing eyes."

Hatori was silenced.

__

Such wisdom…from such a young girl. How can be that possible?

Suddenly, he remembered how Ayame told him that Tohru was like a nurse to all of them. She treated each Sohma's emotional wounds lovingly, like a mother, making the introverted Kisa smile again, and sarcastic Hiro soften. She understood Haru's split personality, and Ayame's pains with his younger brother. She gave Shigure the respect of a child to a father – something he had never earned before. She befriended Kagura despite the latter's lethal possessiveness of Kyo. She mellowed Kyo's notorious temper, and she taught Yuki how to trust others and himself, _especially_ himself, again.

He smiled ruefully. _And all these time, I was calling myself a doctor. My abilities aren't comparable to hers._

"Hatori-san?"

He blinked. "Yes, Honda Tohru?"

"May I ask why you…" she blushed. "…your hair is always covering that part of your eye."

He raised a brow.

"Not that it's unattractive, in fact, it's cool in an enigmatic way," she said quickly. "But I saw your picture here, and…" She showed him the picture taken in a beach, with him and Kana holding hands. The ocean breeze was blowing on his bangs, and his eyes, as Tohru described, were "laughing". 

__

When was the last time that I smiled that way anyway?

I don't remember.

Ever since she disappeared in my life, I forgot how to smile again.

"You're much handsome when your bangs is not that long," she finished.

"I do not remember you being a hair expert," he said.

"Ah!" She blushed profusely. "I'm sorry!"

"But Kana told me that too," he finished, a nostalgic look on his eyes.

"Eh?"

He lit his cigarette and blew a perfect ring in the smoke. "Would you like to see what hides beneath my bangs?""he asked.

"Ah…"

He threw the unfinished cigarette on the floor and crushed it with the sole of his shoes. He seized her hand and pressed it on his bangs. "Look," he ordered.

Her fingers trembling, she combed his bangs away.

And found an unseeing eye.

Yuki sighed, relieved. At last, the crowd was dispersed already. His hand was cramped already from too much autograph signing.

"Hey Princey, time for the victory party!" called one of his fellow actors.

He nodded. "I'll catch up later. I'll just find-"

The boy raised his hand up. "Don't tell me. Honda Tohru, right?"

"How did you know?"

"Kyo was looking for her too. She's the favorite among the Sohmas nowadays, huh?"

Yuki didn't reply. He started to find Kyo.

Tohru stepped back, eyes shaking. "Your left eye!"

He nodded and brushed his bangs back. "Blinded."

"But why? Who did this to you?"

He looked down.

She looked at him. "Hatori-san?" She walked towards him, but tripped on her blanket. She landed on Hatori.

__

Poof!

"Yaaah! Hatori-san, I'm so sorry!" She sweatdropped when she saw a dizzy seahorse lying on top of the doctor's robe.

"I don't know where she went," said Kyo when Yuki confronted him. "I hope that Shigure's wrong."

"What did Shigure say?" demanded Yuki, although deep inside he knew the answer.

"He didn't see Hatori anywhere after the play, so he thinks that Hatori kidnapped Tohru."

Hatori the seahorse was lying on Tohru's bed as the girl looked at him, puzzled.

"There's no seahorse in the Juunishi," she said.

"I'm supposed to be a dragon," he said dryly.

"W-Well, you kinda look like a dragon," she said comfortingly. "Um, a little. The, um, scales. Yeah, the scales. And the eyes."

"Thanks," he said wryly.

"I'm so sorry again," she apologized.

"You….really remind me of her." The seahorse gazed at her. "The panicked look on the face. Exact replica."

"You don't have to tell me about her if you don't want to," she said gently.

"Ayame's right," he said. "You _are_ one of a kind."

She beamed shyly.

Just like a dam long keeping his tragic tale, his story suddenly crashed out in the open. About Kana. About their love, which started like a fairy tale romance at first but ended in tragedy, because of Akito. She learned that Akito blinded Hatori's eye and ordered him to erase Kana's memories.

"S-So where is she now?" she asked.

"She married somebody else, and does not remember me anymore," he said sadly. "I just look after her from afar, just making sure that she's happy with her new life."

Tohru's eyes shook. "I-It's so unfair…you two loved each other very much. Why does it have to end that way?" A tear escaped from her eye. "So unfair…"

"That's life," he said. "C'est la vie."

"But it's wrong. No one has the right to meddle with someone else' life!" She hugged the seahorse to her chest. "I'm so sorry."

"But…" He couldn't understand if she was apologizing or sharing his pain. The latter perhaps.

He smiled. 

Kana, she's just as kind as you. Ayame, now I understand why you called her a nurse. A nurse, she is.

Suddenly he poofed into a human.

Tohru blinked when she felt his warm naked chest beside her face. Burning, she stepped away and turned her back on him. "Oops."

His mouth twitched, and then suddenly, the room was filled with delighted laughter.

Tohru turned around and found Hatori laughing.

__

Hatori-san…

That unseeing eye is nothing compared to the true love you lost.

But will that happen to me too now that I love Yuki-kun?

Maybe…maybe it's not right to love him.

Maybe I should just forget him.

Maybe…since it's for the best. 

****

tsuzuku


	21. One Chance Left

****

One Chance Left

__

Okaasan, Akito-san had me abducted into the main Sohma compound, and I do not know why.

And after I talked with Hatori-san, I felt more worried. Is the clan head really that diabolical that he can break true love?

I do not want to believe so, because I know that real love can overpower anything in this world, but if it happened to Hatori-san and Kana…

Besides, I do not even know how Yuki feels for me.

So…

So…

But…

God help me, but I love Yuki-kun too much.

I can't stay away.

"You want to see her already," said Hatori. He was summoned once again by the clan head after an hour.

"Yes. I am fully rested. I'm already excited to talk to her again."

"Akito, do not exhaust yourself. Maybe you should rest for a few more hours…"

"Stalling time, Hatori?" asked Akito perceptively.

Instead of answering, the doctor looked away.

"Tell me, where does your loyalty lie?" asked the clan head, gazing at him testily.

"I am yours, Akito," said the physician quietly. "As always."

"I will believe you then. I'm sure you will not throw away our _harmonious_ blood relationship for a female _outsider_," said Akito, satisfied.

Hatori shut his eyes.

Guilt was eating his heart, but he must now pretend he had no heart.

He had no choice.

__

I still have a choice. I can still help her.

Yuki, Shigure, and Kyo sat on the steps of the school, waiting for news on Tohru. The two boys, however, were getting impatient.

"If I see that dumbass again, I'll cream her!" yelled Kyo.

"Are you sure Hatori doesn't have anything to do with this?" pressed Yuki.

Shigure shook his head. "Hatori denied it, and he will never lie to me and Aya. Never." But the writer's voice lacked conviction. He thought he knew Hatori so well, but after his beloved died…he changed into a totally different person…a total stranger. 

Yuki looked down. Awhile ago, Shigure and his brother called up the main house, and Hatori answered the phone. The doctor flatly denied Yuki's accusations.

"I do not care about Honda Tohru. Stop wasting my time, I'm still busy," said Hatori shortly before he slammed the receiver.

Yuki clenched his fists. _But I feel…that she's in danger. _

He stood up. "I'm going to see Hatori myself," he decided.

Kyo's eyes widened. "But Akito…"

Yuki inhaled shakily.

The orange-haired Sohma stood up too. "Look, I'll go with you. There is more strength in numbers, and you're going to need all the strength that you can get."

Yuki was stunned. The neko was going to cooperate?

But he smiled gratefully.

Tohru looked up when the door opened, revealing Hatori, looking very grim.

"Hatori-san, what's wrong?" she asked, concerned.

"Akito…Akito wants to see you now."

Her heart froze. "Oh God!"

Hatori sat down beside her and looked at her with intense urgency. "You have to get out of here."

"H-Huh?"

He gripped her shoulders so tightly that she thought her frail bones were going to break. "Tohru-san, I will take you out of this place through a secret exit, but promise me that you'll cut all ties with the Sohmas right after you leave this compound, understood?"

"I-I don't understand!"

"It's for your own good. Akito is a very possessive person, and Yuki is his possession, or at least he likes to think so. You are a threat to him, and he wants you out of the picture," explained the doctor. "So if you love your life, forget us. Forget that you met the Sohmas."

Tohru's eyes widened.

As Kyo and his cousin walked to the main house, he couldn't help notice how uneasy the usually passive mouse was.

"Are you nervous for yourself or for _her_?" he couldn't resist asking.

"Both," admitted the nezumi. "I know Akito's mind. It's pure evil."

Kyo pocketed his hand. "But you'll have to face your fear sooner or later." He sounded so thoughtful, as if he was telling this more to himself.

Yuki looked at the neko. He knew he was referring to a topic the Sohma family refused to touch.

The cat's third form.

Kyo touched his beads. "My greatest fear then was that people would know about my form that even my own mother couldn't accept, and then eventually, I forgot about it. It was buried underneath my obsession to beat you on something."

Yuki remained silent.

"But when I met Tohru, my fear resurrected. I couldn't dare tell her about this form…I simply couldn't. And if she sees me in that form…" He clenched his fists. 

"She would understand."

Kyo paused.

"Tohru-san's kindness knows no boundary." He smiled to himself. "He accepted each of us, weakness, strengths and all, and loved us more for it. I don't see why she would be bothered by that."

"You sound like you know what you're saying," remarked Kyo, continuing the small talk just so he could get Yuki'' mind off the tension of facing Akito.

"I once had the same fear, since Tohru-san has a morbid fear of animals that are from my sign, but when she discovered my Juunishi form, she didn't move away from me. She even overcame her fear of mice just to understand me," narrated Yuki. "She's that kind."

Kyo fell silent. They were in front of the main house already.

Tohru, smiling, shook her head. "I'm sorry, Hatori-san. I cannot do what you are asking. That is impossible. I cannot erase the memories I shared with the people I love, at least in my own will."

The doctor paused speechlessly.

She smiled sadly. "I know that my decision is stupid, but my heart decided this for me, and okaasan told me that if I follow the whisper of my heart, then Kami-sama will guide me."

"Your life is at stake," he reminded her quietly.

"Ah, but my life has been all about the happy Sohma family who have been so kind to me. I love them very, very…" her voice broke. "…v-very much." She bit her lip. "Oh Hatori-san, I just remembered that I wasn't able to tell them that." She looked up at him pleadingly. "Will you call them later in the house and tell them that? If something happens to me…if Akito-san decides that my memories should be erased…then will you please tell them that even if I forget their faces, I'll never ever forget their love that showered me so?"

"Tohru-san…"

__

She's so brave…why didn't I have the same kind of guts she has back when I needed to protect the one I love the most?

Tohru blinked her tears back. "And tell Yuki-kun that…that I care so much about him."

__

Yuki-kun's smiles. Yuki-kun's gentle touch. Yuki-kun's eyes. Yuki-kun. Yuki-kun.

Hatori stood up. "We mustn't keep Akito-san waiting."

"Right."

Hatori opened the door, and Tohru entered the room. It was mostly dark, lit eerily some twisted candles. By the window was Akito, waiting for her expectantly.

"It took her some time to wake up," explained Hatori. "The tranquilizer was too strong."

Tohru sat down in front of Akito, head bowed. She heard the door close behind her.

Deafening silence.

"It's nice to see you again, Honda Tohru-san," said Akito, smiling menacingly.

Hatori picked the phone up quickly and dialed Ayame's number.

__

Please forgive me for lying to you and Shigure and everyone else.

****

tsuzuku


	22. In the Darkness

****

Chapter 22: In the Darkness

Akito drew towards the shaking Tohru, enjoying how the she shivered with fright as she looked at his face, which was made more menacing by the twisted flames from the candles giving poor light to his face and to the dark room.

"You did very well in the play, Tohru-chan," said the clan head, kneeling right before her. "Ah, you are a captivating Princess Snow White."

"I-It was Kyo-kun who really played the part, and I-"

"You took his place at the end of the play, didn't you?" asked Akito slowly. "Yuki…he kissed you."

She gasped when she felt his finger trace her lips lightly.

"Tell me, how did it feel? Who kisses better, him or me? Or perhaps, Kyo?" asked Akito, continuing to run his finger down her lips to her jaw.

She said nothing.

"Aw, don't be shy. Tell me," coaxed Akito.

"Why did you bring me here?" she asked quietly, determined not to let him intimidate her.

His fingers suddenly roughly grabbed her jaw and pulled her close to him. "Well, I'm so glad you asked. There is no big reason, really. At first, I just want to get rid of you. I was tempted to erase your memory and have you thrown far away to a place where you couldn't pest me and Yuki anymore."

She tried to free herself from his grasp, but he tightened his grip on her jaw more. She let out a stifled cry of pain.

"But knowing how you estranged Yuki to me, he might just leave me to find you. So…" He drew closer to her. "I decided to keep you as my pet. You're not Yuki, but you can take his place adequately."

Her eyes widened when she felt the clan head's breath just inches away from her lips. She resisted fiercely, and he threw her hard against the wall. She cried out audibly.

He cackled. "Ah, your cries! I love them! More, Tohru-chan, MORE!!!"

She fought back her tears. 

__

Okaasan, another nightmare! Another nightmare!

She felt hot liquid stream down her cheeks.

__

But I won't call on Yuki-kun. I know how much he fears him.

She looked at Akito squarely. "Akito-san, you can keep me as long as you want, but I ask you only one thing."

"You are not in the place to do bargains with me, but I would like to hear it," he said.

"Please leave Yuki-kun alone already," she begged. "He's already happy now, because you set him free. Don't come back to his life again, please!"

Akito laughed diabolically. "Why should I? His life is mine. I can barge into his existence anytime I want to."

"He does not want to remember anymore, Akito-san. Have mercy!"

"Yuki is mine. And so are you now, Tohru-chan, dear girl." He stood up and approached her. "Both of you will be my toys. Both of you will make me happy to the very last day of my life."

Hatori had just put the phone down when he heard a scream from Kyo.

"Hatori, we know you're in there! Let us in, or I'll break this damn door!!!"

The doctor calmly opened the door. "What can I do for you?"

"Where is Tohru?" bellowed the neko furiously.

He looked out at the window. "She's with Akito right now, and I have strict orders that nobody can disturb the clan head unless he says so."

"Orders, my ass! Tohru's in danger!" said Kyo urgently.

"Where is Yuki?" asked the doctor.

"Huh?" Kyo turned around. "He's with me just a minute ago." He looked at the doctor again, but it was only the door facing him again. He started to pound on the door again. "Hatori, damn it! Hatori!!!"

"Try to understand, Kyo," said a voice softly. He turned around and found Kagura, looking at him tearfully. "Hatori can _not_ defy Akito because he swore on his duty as the safe keeper of Akito, not only in health terms."

"But Tohru's in danger!" snapped the neko. "He does not care about her because she's not a Sohma!"

"You're wrong!" shouted Kagura. "He already did a big sacrifice by trying to warn Tohru awhile ago and giving her a chance to escape, which Tohru didn't take since she didn't like to cut her ties with you guys. He also called up Shigure and Ayame, and they're coming here to help save Tohru."

"Hatori did that?" said Kyo cynically.

"He cares for Tohru too," said the boar. "But try to understand his position, Kyo. In one way or another, he loves Akito too, even a little. We may never know why, especially because he caused Hatori's partial blindness, but…he just like to protect both of them."

The neko was silenced.

__

Walking the familiar hallways again.

Walking the familiar floor.

Yuki approached the corridor leading to the room where Akito used to imprison him back when he was a child. Alone in the darkness that drove him insane slowly, it was where he contemplated that life was about blinding darkness and deafening silence. About being alone with no one who could ever help him.

Alone.

He felt his whole body begin to tremble.

He would have asked Kyo to accompany him, but then, he didn't want him to see him in his moment of weakness.

__

I'm not strong enough for Tohru. Kyo can protect her better. He's not afraid of anything and anyone.

As for me…

But then, upon remembering how Tohru overcame her fear of mice just to accept him whole-heartedly, he found renewed courage.

__

It's my turn to be strong. For the one person I love the most.

__

To the very last day of my life?

Tohru watched as Akito sat down in front of her, as if in slow motion. He crouched towards her menacingly, but she couldn't move.

He suddenly lost his balance and fell on the ground, clutching his chest.

"A-Akito!" She tried to touch him, but he wildly slapped her hands away.

"Don't touch me, you witch!!!" he yelled. He gasped wildly for his breath, rolling on the floor.

"Akito!" She knelt by him. "Please let me help you! Please!" She cried in pain when he suddenly took hold of her hair.

"You…cannot help me! No..one…can ever do!!!" He yelled as he pulled on her tresses. "I'm dying! I'm a dead man walking!"

The door opened, and in came Yuki. "Tohru!" He quickly pulled her away from the clan head, but she still held on Akito.

"Akito-san, we're going to call Hatori. Calm down, please! You'll be alright!" she cried tearfully.

"Tohru!" said Yuki, shocked.

"I do not need your mock concern, you witch! You stole everything away from me! You stole my happiness!" yelled the clan head. "I don't need to live anymore!" He struck her blindly, but before his fist landed on her, Yuki shielded her with his back. He gasped with the impact of the punch.

"Yuki!" cried Tohru and Akito.

"T-Tohru…"

Akito's eyes were stricken with disbelief and shock. Holding on to his chest, he retreated away from the two.

Tohru was crying then. "Yuki-kun…"

"I told you, I'll always protect you. I did…right?" he asked.

She nodded dumbly. "And you got hurt…at my expense. Why, Yuki-kun?"

But he already crossed the distance between them. His lips touched hers lightly before fainting in her arms.

"Yuki-kun…" She hugged him tightly. "I love you so much, Yuki-kun."

Hatori, Kyo and the other Sohmas arrived, just in time to witness Akito trudge out of the room.

"Tohru!" Kisa, Kyo, Kagura, Momiji and Hiro ran towards her. "Yuki!"

"I'm ok." She handed Yuki to Kagura, then stood up. "Akito-san."

He froze. "What is it, Honda Tohru-san?" But he didn't look at her.

"Happiness is not something that can be stolen. It is something that can be shared," she said gently. "Yuki makes both of us happy, so there is nothing wrong with that. Love is infinite. We don't have to fight over it. Yuki has a lot of love in his heart for all of us."

The clan head didn't reply. He left the room quietly as Hatori watched him.

"Hey, Yuki didn't change into a rat!" remarked Momiji.

"That's weird," commented Kagura. "I swear, Tohru was hugging him, right?"

Tohru smiled back at the Sohmas. "Let's go home."

Hatori smiled. "I'll check on Yuki first. I'll drop by the house later." 

Ayame smiled lovingly at his unconscious brother.

__

He didn't transform.

He looked at the weary but happy Tohru.

__

Thanks to her.

Epilogue coming soon!


	23. Let's Stay Together Always

****

Epilogue: Let's Stay Together Always

__

Okaasan, after the incident in Akito-san's house, things had gone back to normal.

Or that is what I think. Others do not think so.

"Ah, Shigure-san, you are planning to make a sequel to Snow White and the Twelve Juunishi!" Tohru exclaimed happily when the novelist announced his plans as everyone was peacefully eating dinner.

"Yes," said Shigure proudly. "I'm going to call it…'The Return of the Juunishi Twelve: Ri'To'Ha Strikes the Abs Developer Again!'. It's about the dragon's endless pursuit to find the right kind of abs worker for him!"

"S-So where's the Juunishi twelve there?" asked Kyo blankly.

"Huh? The eleven characters will play the extras. Nifty huh? The first extras in the history of movies that made it to the title role!"

Everyone but Tohru and Momiji rolled his eyes.

"Shigure, if you don't have anything decent to say, shut up," ordered Hatori as he looked at his cousin darkly.

__

See, Okaasan? Normal it is.

"How about giving _me_ a movie of my own?" asked Ayame excitedly. He primped eagerly. "How's this for a movie material?"

"Lousy," answered Kyo for the writer. "Freakingly disgusting."

"Say that once again when the time comes when you're going to beg for my autograph, which by then would be worth a million yen!" said Ayame in a huff.

"By then, hopefully, I'm out of here!" retorted Kyo.

Shigure grinned at the snake. "Don't worry, Aya! I'll give you the love interest role in a movie I'm working on!"

"Really?" squeaked the snake excitedly.

Hatori was ready to kill his cousins. Tohru could see it in his eyes. She smiled to herself.

"Don't give him that role in _my_ movie," said the doctor grumpily.

Shigure laughed. "So you do like my proposal on the movie after all, Ri'To'Ha!"

"One more smartass statement from you and I'll give you lethal injection," threatened the seahorse.

Kisa tugged on Tohru's skirt. She knelt down in front of her.

"I missed you, nee-chan!" Kisa hugged her affectionately.

Her eyes softened. "Me too."

Hiro shrugged. "Kisa, the food is turning cold." But he was watching Tohru with an odd look on his face, on his mouth was a twitch between a smile and a pout.

She laughed to herself and placed Kisa's hand on Hiro's. "Hey, I miss you two a lot!"

"Too bad we have to leave so soon!" whined Momiji, hugging Tohru by her waist. "We'll miss you, Tohru!"

"You can still come and visit!" she said, puzzled.

"Yeah, but we're looking forward to school vacation again so we can take a break here!" said the hare. "And be with you every single day!"

"Ah, we'll see each other in school," said Tohru, sweatdropping as she remembered how old Momiji really was.

"And you can come to the sneak preview of my major film project!" continued Shigure. "If it becomes succesful, which I'm sure would be, I'll make a follow-up, this time with the neko having the starring role. A love story between a cat and a pig, who despite all odds, managed to make their love come true."

"Eew," remarked Kyo as Kagura cheered.

Haru licked his spoon idly. "More ramen, please, Honda-san?"

"Sure!" She took his bowl and refilled it.

"I'll entitle the movie 'Juunishi Part Three: A Cat's Love Tail", announced the novelist giddily.

"You should take it easy with your plans," reminded Haru. "You don't even know if your Abs movie will be a hit."

"I _know_ with _all my heart_ that it will be a hit! I mean, come on, who wouldn't want to watch a dragon try an exercise machine on?" asked the dog.

This prompted Hatori to gag the writer with all the noodles in his bowl. "Shigure, shut up."

Tohru laughed heartily along with the others.

__

My family. My beloved family.

"Mrmph frmph thumph!" said Shigure, still smiling.

"Translation: Temper, temper, 'Tori! Tohru is with us," translated Ayame.

Hatori raised his brow. "You should be the ones to behave."

Haru looked at Tohru. "So what are you planning to do after you finish senior high?"

"No definite plans, actually," admitted Tohru. "All I have in mind is to plan delicious meals for you guys, and play with you and have fun with you. I cannot imagine myself doing something else other than that."

The Sohmas listened, touched.

She shyly looked down. "So…if I'm not going to be much of a bother, then I would like to be with you guys for a while."

Shigure grinned. "Ah, that wouldn't be a problem," he said, turning to the fellow Sohmas. "How does Tohru's stay in this place for an indefinite time sounds?"

"Wonderful!" gushed Momiji and Kisa.

"Whatever Kisa says," said Hiro.

Hatori shrugged. "I don't care." But his mouth twitched.

Ayame clapped. "Ooh, my brother and I would be delighted, and so will be Mine."

Haru smiled gently. "Anything to make Yuki happy."

Shigure faced Tohru. "Unanimously decided, we want all of us to stay together, i_tsumo_."

Always.

Her eyes welled with tears. "Thank you, guys."

"Uh, where's my brother?" asked Ayame suddenly.

"He's in his secret base," said Tohru. "I'll call him to eat with us."

"Just when I thought the dinner was perfect," complained Kyo as he took a sip of milk.

"Admit it, you miss Yuki in the dining room with us," teased Haru. "And oh yeah, you seem to be enjoying that milk Shigure got from me."

The neko spat out the milk he was drinking. "WHAT?!!!!"

Just kidding," said Haru lightly.

"All of you guys are absolute NUTS!" remarked Kyo, standing up.

"And that's what I love most about all of you!" said Tohru, laughing as she left the house.

__

It came in a full circle. We're back in the days that we laugh with Tohru without concern over Akito's wrath or anything.
    
    Yuki smiled.

"Yuki-kun!" called Tohru, waving at him happily.

He turned around, a grin on his face. "Tohru-san!"

"Dinner's ready," she said.

"Right." He started to walk home, but then stopped and looked up at the full moon above.

"What is it, Yuki-kun?" she asked, worried.

"I was just thanking Kami-sama wherever he is now. Because…" He looked at her, gaze intense. "…you stayed with us. With me."

"Ah!" She was rendered speechless as Yuki took another step closer to her.

"I thanked him that one fateful afternoon, I paused to ask a timid and naïve-looking but very cute lady why she was trespassing in our property. If I did not get the urge to talk with you, I wouldn't have found an angel that I thought exists only in stories…in fairy tales," he murmured huskily.

"I wouldn't have found the one person that could have completed my happiness," he finished as he reached out to touch her face. His finger, trembling, traced the delicate contours of her slightly flushed face. The moon above them gave Tohru's cheek a milky-soft and smooth complexion, making her look even lovelier.

"Tohru-san?"

"Y-Yes, Yuki-kun?"

"May I touch you?"

"Ah-"

Before she could utter another word, he bent down towards her. "I do love you, sweet Honda-san."

Her eyes softened. "Me too, my dashing prince. With all my heart…and soul."

The moon above witnessed the sweet pact of two lovers sealed with the sweetest kiss that any fairy tale writer could weave.

Shigure nudged Ayame as they watched behind the bushes.

"See? I told you Yuki's just like you! Did you remember that time when we too were in the garden? The moon's so round and beautiful…and"

The snake blushed. "We got carried away?"

The laughter from them made Tohru and Yuki jump apart, blushing.

"W-What was that?" asked Tohru.

Yuki's face was dark. "Those damn dog and snake…"

Akito and Hatori were in the garden, looking up at the moon.

"I just hope she would take care of Yuki and the others," said the clan head, sighing defeatedly.

"She will," assured the doctor.

"And I heard that Yuki didn't transform when Tohru hugged him. Why is that?"

"Something you might not understand yet."

"Try me."

"True love."

"Oh. You're right. I do not understand." Akito looked at Hatori, face blank.

"Let's go in. The night breeze is too chilly for you," said Hatori.

"You think she's right when she said that I still should continue living?" asked the clan head, doubtful.

"Stop looking so meek, Akito. You're scaring me."

__

Okaasan, I must be the luckiest girl in the world. Even if I lost you and otoosan, I found a new family who loves me and I love with all my heart.

And I found someone I would love…itsumo.

Yuki clasped Tohru's hand. "Tohru-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Let's stay together…itsumo."

"Itsumo," agreed Tohru, smiling at him.

****

+owari+ 


End file.
